Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, Dubai Press Club (DPC) today announced the agenda for the inaugural edition of Dubai PodFest, the first event of its kind dedicated to podcasting in the region.

Taking place at Dubai Press Club in One Central, Dubai World Trade Centre on 14th November, the event will bring together prominent podcasters, audio content creators and leading organisations in the sector to explore growth opportunities and the future of podcasting in the region.

Dubai PodFest will tackle a range of topics including engaging and attracting subscribers, measuring performance, challenges and opportunities for content creators and the growth of the MENA podcast market.

Dubai PodFest 2021 will serve as an enriching platform to highlight the experiences of various podcasters from across the Arab world and discuss their roles in promoting positive content and inspirational stories.

Maitha Buhumaid, Director of Dubai Press Club, said, “The Dubai PodFest was inspired by the vision of Dubai’s leadership to adopt new media technologies and embrace advanced digital trends in the sector. The event, which is set to be the region’s largest gathering for podcasters, seeks to generate insights on emerging possibilities and challenges in the sector.”

“The global digital content sector has witnessed numerous developments, and it is important that the Arab world stays abreast of advancements in this field. Our region has a wealth of bright minds and talent capable of excelling at a global level. However, we need to develop an integrated system in the region that can harness this talent by raising quality benchmarks, promoting knowledge exchange and supporting the development of the sector,” Buhumaid added.

Mahfoudha bin Selem, Programme Development and Media Training Manager at Dubai Press Club, said, “Organising the Dubai PodFest is part of Dubai Press Club’s strategy to develop several media sectors, including digital media content, in collaboration with its partners. The Dubai PodFest also forms part of our plan to contribute to the accelerated development of the podcasting sector.”

Bin Selem added, “With the growth of the sector in the region and emergence of new podcasters and podcast platforms, we need to study market developments and understand the various issues it faces.”

The opening session of the Dubai PodFest titled ‘The Future of Podcasting’ will explore ways to widen the audience for podcasting and identify the major issues facing podcasting in the region. The session will also tackle technology-related competition in the audio production sector.

During a panel discussion titled ‘New Avenues for Content Creators’, participants will share their insights on the opportunities available for content creators in the MENA region, enhancing the diversity of music content on podcast platforms, as well as the impact of the global pandemic on the consumption of digital music and entertainment.

The session will also shed light on how companies can take advantage of massive growth opportunities in the podcasting sector and how content creators can increase their subscribers and monetise their podcasts.

Another panel discussion called ‘Podcast Platforms’ will discuss the distribution of ad revenues among podcasters and podcast platforms and the key marketing tools available to maximise reach and income. The session will also examine what podcast platforms offer content creators.

As part of event, several leading organisations and content creators will be podcasting live from the event.

Al Arabiya and Sky News Arabia will be among the prominent media companies podcasting from DPC. Dubai Press Club will also be organising various activities related to podcasting on the sidelines of the event.