SAUDI ARABIA’S MBC GROUP REAPPOINTS SAM BARNETT AS ITS CEO

MBC Group, one of the biggest Middle East broadcasters, announced that its current CEO, Marc Antoine d’Halluin, has stepped down. The executive is going to be replaced by his predecessor, Sam Barnett, who is returning as CEO following his resignation in December 2019 after 17 years with the company.

However, Marc Antoine d’Halluin is not leaving MBC, having now been appointed as an advisor to its board in order “to assess, oversee and facilitate the implementation of new initiatives and mandates,” MBC said in statement.

The move comes as MBC Group looks to ramp up its international expansion following the launch of SVOD Shahid VIP, which was rolled out into North America in October. This Arabic-language direct-to-consumer streaming service offers more than 25.000 hours of content, including exclusive original series and local versions of popular shows such as “The Voice,” “Arab Idol” and “Arabs Got Talent,” as well as live access to MBC’s TV channels.