{"id":13267,"date":"2026-10-14T14:43:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T11:43:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediacity.qa\/?p=13267"},"modified":"2026-10-14T14:43:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T11:43:59","slug":"inside-the-media-city-qatar-ecosystem-enabling-the-regions-next-productions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediacity.qa\/en\/inside-the-media-city-qatar-ecosystem-enabling-the-regions-next-productions\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Media City Qatar Ecosystem Enabling the Region\u2019s Next Productions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year at MIPCOM Cannes, Media City Qatar announced support for two original Arabic drama series: \u201cLamma Shefet,\u201d starring Aim\u00e9e Sayah and Mohamad Al Ahmad<\/strong>, and \u201cKawalees,\u201d starring Dima Kandalaft<\/strong>. A year on, both projects, developed with licensed company ImagiQ Productions, are completed.<\/p>\n

Their progress is part of a wider slate of productions by licensed companies, supported as they move from development through production and towards release.<\/p>\n

These include documentary film \u201cFirst to Fly\u201d by Alaqat, which follows two young gymnasts competing at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, with filming across Qatar, Bulgaria and Madagascar. Also among them is \u201cJodari Meno\u201d by The Film House, which follows Qatari spearfisher Jamal from Qatar to Zanzibar and Italy in pursuit of a record-breaking dogtooth tuna. Another completed work, \u201cA Very Ordinary Life\u201d by Lusail Films, about uncovering a buried family secret, is also moving towards release soon. All three films were recently selected for the special screenings program at Doha Film Festival 2026.<\/p>\n

These projects form part of a growing portfolio of content supported by Media City Qatar, with more than 30 local projects to date, including 10 documentaries, seven shows and programs, five series, five films, three games and two podcasts.<\/p>\n

Supporting original content from the region<\/strong><\/p>\n

The production work extends beyond scripted content. Since launching in October 2025, \u201cCNN Creators\u201d has been produced from Media City Qatar as a 30-minute weekly show for television, digital and social platforms, connecting stories from Doha with audiences around the world.<\/p>\n

The same international reach is evident in Media City Qatar\u2019s partnership with Euronews. Since 2021, the two have co-produced five programs, delivering more than 550 episodes and 11 billion TV impacts, and nearly 60 million YouTube views. The collaboration now includes four original programs produced from Doha: \u201cQatar in Motion,\u201d \u201cGrand Voyager,\u201d \u201cCult,\u201d and \u201cFocus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music adds another dimension to this original content. \u201cNabd Qatar,\u201d produced by Media City Qatar-licensed Rahbani 3.0, brought together local creative production and live performance to celebrate Qatar national identity, premiering at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025\u2122 final on Qatar National Day, with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra performing the piece.<\/p>\n

Developing the talent pipeline<\/strong><\/p>\n

With productions filming in the region and working with local crews, creative businesses and production services, the projects are helping build practical production capacity on the ground. As more licensed companies develop and deliver work across Screen, Broadcast & Music, that activity is creating a deeper pool of talent, services and experience for future productions.<\/p>\n

Similarly, through its initiatives and partnerships, Media City Qatar is creating opportunities for future talent to gain practical experience, develop new skills and learn from established industry professionals.<\/p>\n

One example is its support for a masterclass organized by licensed company RCD Media with two-time Academy Award winner Asghar Farhadi, which gave 60 members of Qatar\u2019s creative and filmmaking community the opportunity to learn directly from one of international cinema\u2019s leading filmmakers.<\/p>\n

With programs such as the Euronews Academy Bootcamp and CNN Academy Media, City Qatar is helping upskill the next generation of media talent by providing practical training and exposure to international industry expertise. It also supported internships for three Northwestern University in Qatar students at Euronews\u2019 Brussels headquarters, providing hands-on newsroom experience.<\/p>\n

Building the foundations for content growth<\/strong><\/p>\n

The individual productions, programs and training opportunities reflect Media City Qatar\u2019s wider effort to build a creative sector that can sustain production, develop talent and connect companies in Qatar with wider markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupporting creative businesses is about creating the right conditions for producers, filmmakers, and creative companies to develop ambitious work from Qatar, strengthen their capabilities, and access new markets,\u201d said Hamad Omar AlMannai<\/strong>, CEO<\/strong> of Media City Qatar. \u201cOur return to MIPCOM Cannes 2026 is an opportunity to demonstrate how Qatar is building a stronger platform for regional storytelling, production, and international collaboration, while creating more pathways for local and regional companies to reach wider audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

For filmmakers, producers and media companies looking to build from Qatar, Media City Qatar offers a clear route in. With 100% foreign ownership, competitive incentives, streamlined licensing, production and broadcast infrastructure, talent support and access to a growing network of global and regional media players, it gives creative businesses what they need to set up, scale and reach further.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last year at MIPCOM Cannes, Media City Qatar announced support for two original Arabic drama series: \u201cLamma Shefet,\u201d starring Aim\u00e9e Sayah and Mohamad Al Ahmad, and \u201cKawalees,\u201d starring Dima Kandalaft. A year on, both projects, developed with licensed company ImagiQ Productions, are completed. Their progress is part of a wider slate of productions by licensed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13268,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":{"set_slider":true,"post_slider":[{"slide_image":13268}]},"yoast_head":"\nInside the Media City Qatar ecosystem enabling the region\u2019s<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Last year at MIPCOM Cannes, Media City Qatar announced support for two original Arabic drama series: \u201cLamma Shefet,\u201d starring Aim\u00e9e Sayah\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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