Saudi Telecom has spent 90 million riyals (Dh88.1m) boosting its stake in the media company Intigral, which operates the Saudi firm's television service.
The company, also known as STC, said it had increased its stake in Intigral, which is based in Dubai, to 71 per cent from 51 per cent.
It acquired the 20 per cent stake in Intigral held by the publishing company Saudi Research & Marketing Group (SRMG).
Ghassan Hasbani, STC's chief executive of international operations, said the deal came about through "mutual agreement" with SRMG, which has now exited its holding in Intigral.
In a statement sent to The National, STC said the move was "in line with its strategy to focus on content services that are of primary importance to its customers". Intigral buys the rights to film and television content and encodes it for delivery over internet protocol television (IPTV) and via mobile devices. It also censors content according to its clients' instructions.
The company provides STC's InvisionTV service, which is similar to the broadband TV services provided by Etisalat and du in the UAE.
Intigral is "extremely relevant to our future business", Mr Hasbani said.
Intigral declined to comment when contacted by The National.
The Malaysian media company Astro remains a shareholder in Intigral after the exit of SRMG.
The market responded positively to the news. SRMG, which is traded on the Saudi stock exchange, closed up 8.89 per cent at 19.55 riyals. STC edged up 0.3 per cent to 33.40 riyals.
An Intigral executive told The Nationallast month that STC's IPTV service had 20,000 subscribers. The executive expected the number of subscribers to grow to between 70,000 and 90,000 next year.
In addition to its mobile TV and IPTV services in Saudi Arabia, Intigral also provides mobile TV service in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The company has said it is in discussions with "various operators" in the region to provide similar services.
bflanagan@thenational.ae
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
if you go
The flights
Flydubai flies to Podgorica or nearby Tivat via Sarajevo from Dh2,155 return including taxes. Turkish Airlines flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Podgorica via Istanbul; alternatively, fly with Flydubai from Dubai to Belgrade and take a short flight with Montenegro Air to Podgorica. Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Podgorica via Belgrade. Flights cost from about Dh3,000 return including taxes. There are buses from Podgorica to Plav.
The tour
While you can apply for a permit for the route yourself, it’s best to travel with an agency that will arrange it for you. These include Zbulo in Albania (www.zbulo.org) or Zalaz in Montenegro (www.zalaz.me).