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Abu Dhabi’s growing global reputation as a production and content creation hub was the focus of a panel held at MIPCOM today, featuring twofour54’s Paul Baker, executive director of its Film and TV Services. MIPCOM, held in Cannes, France this week, is the most anticipated global market for entertainment content across all platforms.

Paul Baker shared the stage with fellow Abu Dhabi content creators to shed light on Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment evolution, including Nathalie Habib, Executive Producer at Blink Studios; Hani Kichi, Producer/Director at Blink Studios; Lama Al Awa, Production and Art Director at Cube Production; and Bassem Yousef, TV Host Surgeon at Tubestar Network.

Baker, executive director of twofour54 Film and TV Services said: “There is a big tourism element for Abu Dhabi in film production. So far, from Star Wars alone, Abu Dhabi has achieved a value of 60 million USD in press mentions with three months ahead of the premiere. Ultimately, if we can start transferring those skills and increasing the quality of Arabic content, it will travel not just in the region but outside the region as well. There is no reason why the quality of content that is coming out of the region and the great stories told cannot travel the world.”

Speaking about the recent launch of Iftah Ya SimSim, the Arabic version of Sesame Street, Nathalie Habib, Executive Producer, Blink Studios said: “We have just finished producing the studio segments of the return of Sesame Street to the region. It was a fantastic experience as everyone is aware of the Sesame Street brand and what it has to offer to children across the world. Bringing back Sesame Street and working on the show with the support we received from twofour54.”

In a few short years, twofour54 has attracted and facilitated the production of hit TV shows like Top Gear and Bold and the Beautiful as well as Bollywood and Hollywood films such as Bang Bang, Fast and Furious 7 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

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