CNN International is to start broadcasting live daily news programming from a brand new broadcast facility in Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

This landmark move signals the global network’s significantly expanded on-the-ground commitment to the Middle East and marks CNN’s first regularly scheduled daily live show from the region.

The development is part of ongoing plans for CNN’s new broadcast and production centre set to open in the Abu Dhabi Media Zone in early 2009. 

In addition to a daily local-primetime newscast, the new production centre in Abu Dhabi will provide the infrastructure for expanded newsgathering activities in the region. 

It enhances CNN’s existing representation in the region which currently comprises news operations in Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Dubai and Jerusalem, and is part of the company’s ongoing newsgathering expansion which over this year has seen more than 50 additional staff and more newsgathering operations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

CNN’s Abu Dhabi operation complements its ongoing presence in Dubai and will be a fourth international broadcast centre alongside the existing facilities in London, Hong Kong and Mexico City; and US production centres in Atlanta, Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles.

'Our UAE expansion is one of our boldest editorial undertakings of recent years and one that builds on our existing newsgathering heritage in the region,' said Tony Maddox, MD CNN International. 

'For a global news organisation, the Middle East was the logical choice for an investment of this scale.'

The expansion cements CNN’s desire for a broad presence across the UAE spectrum at a time when the Middle East is making headlines in the political, business and cultural arenas that are having a genuine impact on world affairs.

In addition to the launch of live daily news programming, CNN will also move the production of its popular Middle East focused feature shows ‘Inside the Middle East’ and ‘Marketplace Middle East’ to the UAE.-TradeArabia News Service