Beirut, 20 September 2023 – Anghami, the leading music and entertainment streaming platform in the MENA region, has announced its partnership with Mentor Arabia Foundation for the fourth edition of the ‘Youth Empowerment Film & Song Competition,’ during a press conference held in Beirut. This collaboration aligns with Anghami’s commitment to fostering local talents and supporting emerging young artists in the region. The competition encourages Arab youth to harness their creative potential by creating films and songs that tackle pressing social and humanitarian issues.
In 2017, a compelling vision began to take shape, driven by a shared commitment to empowering young Arab artists. It all started with a conversation among key figures: Thuraya Ismail, a dedicated board member and CEO of Mentor Arabia; Qays Sheikh Najib, a renowned actor; and Nelly Karim, a talented actress, all of whom were members of the Mentor Arabia Friends committee.
The competition has garnered support from over 80 strategic partners, including local, Arab, and International organizations and institutions. In addition to Anghami, notable partners include the Jordanian Royal Film Commission, Zain Telecom, IEFTA, Sundance Film Festival, as well as various universities, academies, media agencies, and private companies.
The theme of this year’s 4th edition is ‘Youth Wellbeing,’ which aims at shedding light on the challenges facing Arab youth, celebrating their strength and resilience, and giving them hope for a better future. It also aims at spreading awareness about prevention from risky behaviors, advocating for healthy lifestyles, encouraging art, innovation and creativity, inspiring youth to excel in their careers, and providing promising talents with mentorship and guidance opportunities.
During the press conference in Beirut, Kamil Abi Khalil, Head of Production at Anghami, commented on the partnership: “Our mission to support emerging talents in the region goes beyond just a statement and our track record solidifies our dedication to this cause. Anghami has been always committed to guiding and nurturing young Arab artists throughout their journey. With this partnership, we’re not only celebrating our shared dedication to supporting talents, but also doubling down on our promise to reshape the music industry and set a new standard for empowering rising talents.”
Thuraya Ismail, CEO and Board Member at Mentor Arabia, added: “We are very proud of our strategic partnership with Anghami through Mentor Arabia’s Youth Empowerment Film & Song Competition, which has reached and positively impacted thousands of young artists in the region”.
The competition targets young Arab talents aged 18 to 30 years old and consists of five main categories: Narrative Short films, Documentary Short films, PSA films, Films in Development, and songs. Distinguished artists and industry experts comprise the panel of judges and jury for this event.
The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in the autumn of 2023 in Amman, Jordan, where the winners will be formally announced, alongside a series of panel discussions featuring the members of the jury. Through this partnership with Mentor Arabia, Anghami reaffirms its mission and vision to support and empower young artists in the region, ensuring that their creative voices continue to reach new heights.
About Anghami Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGH) :
The first, most established and fastest growing music technology platform in the Middle East and North Africa region, Anghami is the go-to destination for Arabic and International music, podcasts and entertainment. With an extensive ecosystem of music, podcasts, events and more, Anghami provides the tools for anyone to create, curate and share their voice with the world.
Launched in 2012, Anghami was the first music-streaming platform in MENA to digitize the region’s music. Today, it has the largest catalog comprising more than 100 million songs and licensed content from leading Arabic labels, independent artists and global distributors, available for 120 million registered users. Anghami has established 40+ telco partnerships to facilitate subscriptions and customer acquisitions, in parallel to building long-term relationships with, and featuring music from, major music labels including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and the Merlin Network. Anghami is constantly licensing and producing new and original content. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Anghami has offices in Beirut, Dubai, Cairo, and Riyadh and operates in 16 countries across MENA. It has recently expanded into the US and Canada, with Europe in the pipeline. It is the only service available in English, Arabic and French, and remains close to its customer base, not only thanks to its pan-regional presence but also via the 56 million user data points it generates every day.
To learn more about Anghami, please visit: https://anghami.com
Media Contact:
Marian Bahader
press@anghami.com
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About Mentor Arabia:
Founded in 2006 in Dubai, with its headquarters in Beirut, Mentor Arabia is a regional non-governmental non-profit foundation that envisions an Arab world where children and youth are empowered to lead healthy lives and make sound decisions. Mentor Arabia is chaired by HRH Prince Turki Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, and it is a branch of Mentor International, founded in 1994 and headed by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden; which includes Mentor USA, Mentor Sweden, Mentor Germany, Mentor Latvia, and Mentor Jordan. Mentor Arabia aims at empowering Arab children and youth to prevent risky behaviors through art, culture and sports. To achieve its mission, Mentor Arabia fosters strategic partnerships with national, regional, and international entities that are active in related fields.
