du and Eurosport launch Eurosport Arabia for sports fans in MENA

In-line with its commitment to provide customers with next-generation information services and to promote premier Arabic-language content, du has joined hands with Eurosport, Europe’s leading sports entertainment group, to develop Eurosport Arabia, an on-line portal and associated  mobile services for sports fans in the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Coming in December 2009, Eurosport Arabia will provide breaking news coverage and comprehensive information on major sporting events to both online and on-the-go users, in both Arabic and French. Sports fans in the Arab world will benefit from this initiative as it will bring quality Arabic content to internet users. As part of the kick-off, an exhibition match between the UAE and France will be held on Wednesday, 11 November, 2009 in Dubai as part of the FIFA® Beach Soccer World Cup event.

“Through our exciting partnership with Eurosport, du is proud to bring digital sports content to the MENA region. As Europe’s leading multimedia sports entertainment group, Eurosport’s dedication to providing unmatched sporting coverage is a natural fit with du’s commitment to bringing the best of worldwide content to consumers and sports fans, anytime, anywhere,” said Osman Sultan, CEO, du.

“We are delighted to partner with du to develop digital content focused on Arabic viewers and bring our multimedia sporting coverage to fans across the UAE and MENA region,” said Laurent-Eric Le Lay, Chairman and CEO, Eurosport. “du’s local expertise and innovative approach will be invaluable as we develop cutting-edge online content and services to help fans in this region stay up-to-date on all the latest developments in international and regional sports.”

Eurosport's existing network of websites is produced in nine different languages across Europe and in China, and Eurosport Arabia will be adapted to the specifics of the Arabic language, culture, needs and affinities of sports fans in the region.

November 11,2009