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In 2023, a year filled with significant events, major domestic media outlets have shown heightened interest in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. However, many instances of trials and errors, as well as misjudgments, have occurred due to a lack of information.

A notable example is Korea's recent defeat in the bid to host the '2030 World Expo' in Busan, where it competed fiercely against Saudi Arabia. Experts attribute this loss to a deficiency in both 'information' and 'understanding' of the Middle East. The critical role of information is undeniable for both governments and businesses.

Business Report conducted an exclusive three-day interview with Mohamed M. Eliwa (66), Chairman of Arabia Inform - the Middle East's largest media group, set to expand into Korea in 2024. The interview, focusing on future expansion plans and strategies, took place at the Cairo Data Center in Egypt.

[Cairo, Egypt = Interview by Editor-in-Chief Jaehong Kim/ Planning, Interpretation, Organization, and Photography by Planning Committee Member Park Woongcheol (former Ambassador to Yemen) and Soojin Cho, the director of the BusinessReport International Department]

Q: Regarding the limited news coverage Korean companies receive from the Middle East, there's a belief that 'news is information,' which is often not adequately met. 'Arabia Inform' plans to significantly contribute to this area as we enter the Korean market.

Our collaboration with Arabia Inform Korea, the local branch, is set to enhance our role in Korea. The anticipation is high, especially since most Middle Eastern countries recognize Korea's potential.

Arabia Inform specializes in four key areas: media, advertising, law, and academics, each meticulously managed through a data center that digitizes, documents, indexes, and archives records. We are a leading name in the MENA region, monitoring all media forms, including broadcasts, newspapers, and the internet, across 22 Middle Eastern countries, like Saudi Arabia. Our analysis reports and services, based on this comprehensive monitoring, are unmatched.

Specifically, we monitor 16,000 media outlets, including 760 broadcasting channels like Al Jazeera and over 1,000 Arabic newspapers, magazines, news websites, and social media platforms, 24 hours a day. We offer news monitoring and analysis reports to governments and companies in each country. With our 2024 launch in Korea, we aim to offer even more diverse and in-depth services.

Q. We are curious about Arabian Inform’s main service.

Arabia Inform provides services to governments, companies, and organizations through data feed, and operates under two major brands: ‘Middle East Monitor’ and ‘Acumen.’ Acumen includes confidential services, media monitoring, branding and has the ability to perform media due diligence. In the academic field, a database called 'AskZad' is used, which is widely used as a reference material by graduate researchers and academics around the world. It also provides legal and advertising indexing services through the brands 'Miller Middle East Law Resources' and 'ADVEX'. Through these diverse fields, we cover all kinds of intellectual content from the Middle East region.

Q. More than anything, We're curious about Acumen's news monitoring service.

Acumen, one of our main products at Arabia Inform, offers a variety of news monitoring services. We provide round-the-clock monitoring of print, broadcast, and Internet media sources, delivering original images, audio, and video clips digitally to our clients. When necessary, we conduct in-depth analysis on specific companies or topics, backed by a dedicated team for precise and objective insights.

Our archives, dating back to 1998 for print media, 2003 for the Internet, and 2008 for television, allow customers to compare historical and current media reports and advertising campaigns. For broadcasting, we've digitally indexed over 400 million hours of content to date.

Acumen's integrated media intelligence includes tools for comprehensive media reporting and statistical analysis, covering thousands of entities including companies, governments, NGOs, executives, and public figures. We offer various subscription options, from individual company media profiles to full access.

Especially noteworthy is Acumen's customization for clients needing detailed quantitative or qualitative analysis alongside standard news monitoring. This includes daily monitoring of a company's image and updates on reputation and product perception.

Moreover, we provide competitive intelligence services by daily monitoring media reports and images about competitors. This helps in swiftly and effectively responding to market competition.

Our service also includes tracking international industry news, trends, and opportunities, which is invaluable for understanding business development prospects and challenges. Additionally, we offer optional statistical measurements that gauge media positioning and consumer sentiment (positive, negative, neutral) for specific companies or projects.

Arabia Inform boasts the largest database of Arabic media, akin to Google's archival capabilities, enhanced with human-added indexing, keywords, and keyword weight extraction. This service is particularly beneficial for Korean companies entering the Middle Eastern market and serves as a valuable reference for Middle Eastern capital and companies considering investments in Korea.

Q. Databaseization seems to be unique among academic services.

Academic fields encompass journals, theses from local universities, doctoral dissertations, research studies, and conferences. This initiative was initiated in 1998, with each journal archiving all its content since its inception. The academic and scientific indices curated by the Center have evolved into a valuable resource utilized by numerous universities worldwide, including prestigious institutions like Harvard University, the Sorbonne, Georgetown University, George Washington University, and all universities in Saudi Arabia.

Across the Middle East, each country maintains its official government newspaper. This practice ensures that laws and regulations cannot be enforced unless they are officially published. We have undertaken the digitization and indexing of official newspapers from the majority of countries in the region. This has resulted in the creation of a comprehensive database containing every contract, official announcement, and published law from these official newspapers.

Q. When and how was Arabian Inform established?

The groundwork for the establishment of Arabian Inform began in 1993. I served as a computer administrator in the information center of the largest newspaper in the region. Initially conceived with the idea of preserving Arab culture and its contemporary content, Arabian Inform embarked on its journey with two main initiatives towards the end of 1997, gradually expanding its scope.

The first initiative led to the creation of the Media Archiving and Indexing Center, while the second gave rise to the Academic and Scientific Indexing and Archiving Center. Subsequently, the third initiative focused on establishing the Legal Reference Materials Archiving and Indexing Center, and the fourth aimed at building a center capable of recording, archiving, and indexing all advertisements within the Middle East region. This concerted effort resulted in the vast and diverse database we possess today.

Presently, our headquarters is located in Dubai, UAE, while the data center operates from Cairo, Egypt. We have established local subsidiaries in New York, USA, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Doha, Qatar.

Q. Artificial intelligence (AI) programs such as ‘Chat GTP’ are driving the world into a crucible of excitement. How can AI and big data be used in media analysis and academic research, and what new opportunities can this create? Also, how can these technologies develop in Korea and the Middle East?

We believe artificial intelligence (AI) can evolve into an expert system, playing a pivotal role in big data analysis. AI essentially simulates human intelligence, enabling machines to learn, analyze, and appropriately respond to human queries through a process involving diverse content, data, and information.

The key distinction between humans and machines lies in data processing capabilities. As the largest provider of Arabic content, we are venturing into new opportunities by integrating media analytics with AI and big data.

In media analysis, our goal is to develop an AI system capable of responding to strategic inquiries. We've already established a foundation for machine learning with hundreds of millions of content pieces. Similarly, in academia, AI has proven effective in analyzing and providing information from extensive research papers and data.

Our AI tools are open source, allowing for versatile applications, including customization in Korean or Arabic. In the legal field, we aim to employ AI to create a system for neutral, effective advisement, a project requiring significant processing power and storage, achievable through robust partnerships.

These AI technologies promise substantial economic advantages and have the potential for growth through collaborations with countries like Korea. By applying AI to Korean media and academic sectors, we can synchronously develop Middle East resources. Our aim is to offer reliable information by delivering accurate AI-generated language responses, paving the way for a new era of knowledge acquisition.

Q. What can Korean companies gain from Arabia Inform’s full-fledged entry into Korea?

Korean companies stand to gain significantly from Arabia Inform's expansion into Korea. Taking 'Company A', a typical Korean company, as an example: its Middle East strategy will benefit from monitoring local media to understand reactions to product sales and marketing. This enables the establishment of essential profiles and provides vital insights for both Company A and the local market, enhancing the effectiveness of localization strategies.

Additionally, this service isn't just one-way. Middle Eastern companies looking to invest in Korea can also access relevant information.

We have plans to collaborate with Korean partners to develop a database of Korea's top 100 companies. This initiative will start soon and expand gradually. Our aim is to offer systematic corporate analysis services to investors and businesses in the Middle East, highlighting the strengths of Korean companies from a Middle Eastern viewpoint. The Arabia Inform analysis team, known for its expertise, is committed to this project. Although it may take some time to complete, we anticipate that this service will stimulate more active exchanges between the Middle East and Korea

Q. The recent Korean wave, including K-pop, is hot around the world. Exchanges between Korea and countries in the Middle East are likely to become more active. What are your future plans with your Korean partners?

Indeed, the global popularity of the Korean wave, including K-pop, indicates that interactions between Korea and the Middle East are set to intensify. Korea has established itself as a role model, especially in sectors like automotive and home appliances, by rapidly transforming into a leading global nation.

Our primary focus will be on media intelligence, where we aim to collaborate closely with Korean government sectors and gain insights from Middle Eastern media. This will also be advantageous for Korean companies seeking feedback from local media and competitive intelligence.

Academic collaboration holds great potential too. With the demand for Middle Eastern and Arabic studies growing in universities worldwide, we are prepared to provide necessary academic materials and content.

Looking ahead, we have various collaborative plans with our Korean partners, including Business Report and KDG/Korean corporation Arabia Inform Korea. Having recently signed an exclusive agreement for Korean business, we are optimistic about the potential for mutual growth between the Middle East and Korea.

Our collaboration is poised to bring together comprehensive services tailored for both government and corporate sectors. We intend to quickly establish a structured business model and design customized solutions for effective outcomes. With the impending official launch of our Korean partnership, we are excited about the possibilities this collaboration holds.

We are committed to working in all possible areas with our Korean partners, who have comprehensive knowledge of the local market. Though it’s a new venture, we believe this collaboration will yield positive results. I look forward to visiting Seoul in the new year to experience Korea’s dynamism firsthand.

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