The Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation launched today the "Azraq" platform for Arabic content, in a step aimed at achieving a qualitative leap in the Arab digital cultural scene, in terms of form, content, and work style.
The platform represents an extension of the foundation’s path in digitalizing knowledge and making it accessible to a wide audience through various digital media, in line with the accelerated global and regional digital transformation.
Farah Abu Aisheh, Director of Communication and Public Relations at the foundation, said that the launch of "Azraq" responds to a clear cultural and media need; as it is a platform that narrates with the highest standards, believing that Arab culture deserves a space that befits it and reveals its richness and diversity, reflecting a direct ambition to develop the digital cultural experience.
She noted that data indicates that the percentage of content available in Arabic on the internet does not exceed 0.6 percent in 2023, while the rate of internet usage by Arabs exceeds 78 percent, pointing out that this digital knowledge gap was a main motivation for launching the platform, to be a qualitative space for contemporary Arabic content.
She explained that the "Azraq" platform covers a wide spectrum of cultural topics, including science, literature, art, music, cinema, and Arab heritage, as the platform aims to produce Arabic content that matches its culture, suits its audience, and is presented with high editorial, visual, and audio quality standards.
Abu Aisheh added that to organize this work, the materials produced through the platform were broken down into three main axes: podcasts (audio content): audio content that presents knowledge and cultural discussion in a contemporary style, visuals: video productions that present cultural stories and ideas in an attractive visual language, and written content: articles and texts that open spaces for thinking and knowledge discussion.
She mentioned that during the work on the first phase of "Azraq for Arabic Content" productions, work was done on producing content series that include: Ktabology; a series talking about books worthy of reading from the global library, also Poet Said; a series presenting Arabic poetry in a contemporary manner covering various topics like wisdom, Arab cities, heritage and others, in addition to Hidden Highlights of Movies; a drama series that narrates the intricacies of films through the story of a trainee in filmmaking and a film critic, and the Music and City series; which follows the history and musical heritage of a collection of Arab cities, along with Journey Content, a series of scientific dialogues with Arab scientists and researchers, and finally A, B of the Story; a series of dialogues with specialists in children's literature from authors, critics, educators, and publishers. And content journey, a series of scientific dialogues with Arab scientists and researchers, and finally (A, B of the Tale); which is a series of dialogues with specialists in children's literature from writers, critics, educators, and publishers.
Abu Aisheh confirmed that "Azraq" is not just a new publishing channel, but a digital cultural project committed to the highest production standards at all stages, from the idea to the formulation, from the visual treatment to the final direction, and the goal is to present trusted and rich Arabic content that keeps pace with the transformations in digital knowledge consumption patterns among the audience.
Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation considers this platform an extension of its cultural project and an opportunity to enhance the impact and reach a wider audience, calling on institutions and individuals to support the platform and spread its content within their digital networks, noting that the platform can be accessed through the link. www.youtube.com/@azraqplatform
