Discovery Communications has teamed up with Image Nation to create and launch a new Arabic-language, free-to-air channel for the Middle East and North Africa, Quest Arabiya.
Set to debut in the fourth quarter of this year, Quest Arabiya will be a male-skewed channel featuring factual and reality programs. It will showcase a combination of locally produced original content and localized shows from Discovery’s slate. Genres will include adventure and survival, motoring, engineering, wildlife, history and people and places. Carl von Doussa, the general manager of channels at Image Nation Abu Dhabi, will lead the new service.
“The Channel Quest Arabiya will be a leading destination for men’s lifestyle entertainment in the Middle East and North Africa,” said James Gibbons, the executive VP for Discovery’s emerging business. “Discovery’s global success is based on building strong local teams and looking for new opportunities in key markets. We have a dedicated team based in the UAE and a track record of providing high quality brands and programs that nourish viewers in the region for more than 16 years. Our partnership with Image Nation will help take our business to the next level, broaden the popularity of factual entertainment and raise awareness of our seven channel brands in the region.”
“In partnering with Discovery to launch a new TV channel in the Middle East, we are doing what Abu Dhabi does best—marrying world-class expertise with regional knowledge,” added Mohammed Al Mubarak, the chairman of Image Nation Abu Dhabi. “Quest Arabiya will provide a needed boost to the private media sector in the UAE as we will be commissioning more content than ever before and producing at the highest international standards.”
