News

Anghami Partners With Wajeez To Add Audible Books

Thousands of audiobook summaries look set to be added to the portfolio of Anghami after a partnership is announced with leading platform Wajeez.

Published

2 years ago

August 5, 2022

Nour Nasir

Anghami

Anghami, the pioneers of music streaming and digital distribution in the MENA region, has just announced a collaboration with Wajeez, another MENA-based platform that enables users to read or listen to 15-minute curated summaries of books, novels, and podcasts in Arabic.

The partnership will help Anghami add thousands of audiobook summaries to its platform, greatly expanding the company’s portfolio and strengthening its commitment to enriching user experience with world-class Arabic content.

Anghami’s 72 million+ users will soon have access to over 3,500 regional and international non-fiction book titles in an audio summary format as an add-on within the main Anghami platform.

wajeez integration with anghami

“The art of storytelling is a historic, cultural cornerstone in the Arab world. Our partnership with fast-growing startups like Wajeez marks a defining chapter for us as we collectively aim to leverage the full potential of audio content,” says Elie Habib, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer at Anghami.

Anghami hopes that the new catalog, which includes both audiobook and podcasts formats, will freshen their current offering and help to give creators an expanded platform and outlet for their work. Meanwhile, for Wajeez, the collaboration will see its content reaching a much wider audience.

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“Our partnership with Anghami, the region’s leading streaming platform, reinforces our vision to spread culture and knowledge on the widest possible scale in the Arab world, because we believe that the knowledge gained from reading constitutes awareness, which is a fundamental pillar for the renaissance, advancement, and civilization of people,” says Rami Abu Jbara, Chief Content Officer & Co-founder of Wajeez

Anghami’s announcement comes at a time when the company is actively bolstering its commitment to providing the best possible Arabic content. The platform has already announced the addition of live events, offline and virtual entertainment to its services, in a move that hopes to showcase top talent and help to put the region’s vibrant culture in front of a global audience.

News

Viasat Satellite Messaging Tech Showcased In Saudi Arabia

The direct-to-device (D2D) demonstration highlighted the technology’s potential to revolutionize remote communication.

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2024

Nour Nasir

viasat satellite messaging tech showcased in saudi arabia

Satellite communications firm Viasat announced yesterday that it had completed its first demonstration of direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity technology in Saudi Arabia. The live broadcast took place during the “Connecting the World from the Skies” event in Riyadh, organized by Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST) alongside the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Attendees witnessed successful satellite-based two-way messaging and SOS alerts sent using commercial Android smartphones and a combination of Viasat’s robust L-band satellite network and the Bullitt over-the-top messaging app. Signals were transmitted using the company’s L-band spacecraft positioned over the Indian Ocean, while the infrastructure for 3GPP NTN services was deployed by Viasat’s partner Skylo.

Sandeep Moorthy, Viasat’s Chief Technical Officer, emphasized the significance of the demonstration, explaining, “By expanding our direct-to-device innovation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we’re showcasing the potential for D2D services in the fast-growing Gulf and Asia-Pacific region. D2D could help reduce barriers to connectivity in regions where terrestrial services are spotty and unavailable to help transform industries and supply chains, enable new opportunities, and to become more efficient, sustainable and safer. We’d like to thank the CST for their support in carrying out this exciting demonstration”.

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D2D technology allows devices like smartphones, vehicles, and industrial equipment to connect seamlessly to both satellite and terrestrial networks. Unlike traditional satellite setups, D2D eliminates the need for extra hardware, thanks to emerging global standards that are gaining traction among satellite operators, mobile network providers, and tech manufacturers.

What makes this approach particularly promising is that Viasat uses a licensed, dedicated satellite spectrum to deliver its D2D services. This avoids any interference with existing terrestrial networks, allowing smooth integration with mobile network operators in the future.

The demonstration clearly showed the potential of D2D technology to bridge connectivity gaps in remote regions while opening up opportunities for innovation, improved safety, sustainability, and efficiency.