According to A.T.Kearney, a leading management consultuncy company, the UAE has signed a Memorandum of Understanding between key government and private players in the media community. The launch of the UAE’s TV Audience Measurement Project is a significant step that will lead to increased transparency, influencing TV channels’ attractiveness to advertisers and representing a potential of additional TV advertisement revenue for media companies worth more than $2bn.

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The Jordan Times has reported that Yahoo! is now making a great progress in offering a wide range of its services in Arabic. The services include Yahoo! messenger, search engine, front page and Yahoo! mail. Yahoo! Middle East, which inaugurated its Amman office last week, will be combining the best of Yahoo! and the best of Maktoob. The office will be in charge of creating regional content, product localization and developing new products and services.

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The National reports that Hosam El Sokkari, the first Arab to lead the BBC Arabic service since its launch in 1938, has resigned to take a leadership position at the Middle East unit of Yahoo!, which recently acquired Jordan’s Maktoob web portal.

Prior to its acquisition by Yahoo!, Maktoob made considerable investments in creating news content, launching its own news websites and hiring journalists in the region.

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According to Emirates Business’s interview with Isam Bayazidi, the CEO of ikoo, GCC has a growth potential that exceeds 50 per cent every year and for the next few years. Bayazidi expects media planners and marketers to continue tapping the power and reach of online advertising to complete and balance their overall media plans. Throughout the interview, he charts the growth of online advertising and marketing and shares insights on the virtual reality of the industry.

Emirates Business speaks to Isam Bayazidi about ikoo’s possible expansion plans, partnerships, challenges, funding requirements and more.

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According to reports from the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Yahoo acquired Maktoob for $164 million in cash —almost double the amount that had previously been widely reported, according to the company’s 10K, which was just filed with the SEC.

The filing includes other details about the company’s purchases and divestments. Among them: Yahoo says it spent $30 million on two other acquisitions last year.

Yahoo also generated net proceeds of $120 million by selling its stake in Korean auction business Gmarket to eBay and $145 million from selling its investment in Alibaba.com.

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