Dubai’s state-owned media business Dubai Media Incorporated has launched a free streamer called Dubai+ to position the country as a hub for film & TV creation, and it’s stocked with kids & family content.

A rebrand of the streamer Awaan, Dubai+ launched on Thursday with 30,000 hours of programming on offer, including more than 170 licensed international titles. It’s a general entertainment platform with a wide range of content, including a children’s catalogue boasting local shows such as Ibin Majd and Qendeel Al Hekayat, as well as international animated series like Ollie (52 x four minutes) from Belgium’s Lunanime, The Wild Soccer Bunch (26 x 23 minutes) from Germany’s Betafilm, and Magic Blocks (60 x 11 minutes) from China’s Putao Animation.

The launch of Dubai+ is part of a broader government initiative to strengthen Dubai’s media industry and make it more competitive on the global stage, according to a release. The streamer is intended to be a platform that supports Emirati and Arab content, as well as a conduit to help Arab programming reach more viewers abroad. The timing of the rebrand also takes advantage of Ramadan later this month, a key time for Arab broadcasters, since families gathering together typically drives a surge in TV-watching.

The Middle East’s media industry as a whole seems poised for growth, and local kids producers have been gearing up to take advantage of new content opportunities.

Image courtesy of Government of Dubai Media Office.