Streaming major Starzplay sets up HQ in Abu Dhabi as part of $545m initiative

The partnership is part of ADIO’s AED2 billion ($545 million) Innovation Programme, an initiative of the Abu Dhabi government’s Ghadan 21 accelerator programme.

Establishing its headquarters in Abu Dhabi with ADIO’s support will enable Starzplay to further strengthen the production of regionally relevant original content for its audiences, a statement said.

UAE-founded Starzplay provides premium content to over 1.8 million subscribers in 20 countries, including blockbuster movies, exclusive TV shows, kids content and Arabic series.

Since its inception in 2015, it has accelerated its growth with a record year in 2020 in terms of users, revenues and content consumption, the statement added.

Dr Tariq Bin Hendi (pictured above), director general of ADIO, said: “Abu Dhabi’s creative sector is rapidly taking shape with significant government investment, a steady flow of skilled talent and sound infrastructure to fuel the ambitions of creators and businesses.

“The media industry is coming together with a cohesive and elevated offering to welcome and support companies from all around the world. As a long-term partner, we are here to help businesses aligned with our vision and fast-track their progress through support for R&D, while ensuring they are suitably equipped to grow sustainably on the global stage.”

From its new Abu Dhabi HQ, Starzplay said it will ramp up partnerships with the city’s media and creative ecosystem to offer exclusive, in-demand entertainment to its subscribers.

Building on existing cooperation with entities such as Abu Dhabi Media, twofour54 and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Starzplay will partner with local production houses and animation studios to produce compelling original content, especially relevant for the region’s largest demographic, the 200 million Arab youth.

As part of the partnership with ADIO, Starzplay will build a cutting-edge, next-generation private cloud in Abu Dhabi to meet the growing consumer demand in the region.

It will also offer its private cloud to other media companies as a fully managed and turnkey over-the-top (OTT) solution.

Maaz Sheikh (pictured below), CEO and co-founder of Starzplay, said: “With our new headquarters in Abu Dhabi, we are excited about producing more original content through enhanced media partnerships. Further, building the new cloud facility will bring us closer to our fans to serve them with a richer and more personalised experience. These are pivotal steps in our evolution as a regional tech and media champion and we are grateful to ADIO for supporting our strategic growth vision.”

As part of the Innovation Programme partnership, ADIO said it has awarded Starzplay competitive financial incentives, including rebates on high-skilled payroll, technology-related capital expenditure and other operating expenditure, as well as non-financial incentives, such as assistance with company establishment and engagement with Abu Dhabi ecosystem partners.