FOR-A Provides Complete Production Kit For UAE Program

FOR-A has delivered a complete flyaway production kit to Media and Art Production (MAP), based in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. The kit was designed to provide the technology platform for Emirates Draw, one of the most-watched television programs in the UAE. MAP provides complete production services, from creative concepts to delivery. Emirates Draw is a live draw and entertainment program, broadcast each Sunday in prime time. Now, with MAP’s flyaway production system, it broadcasts from a different location each week. 

MAP was already familiar with the FOR-A range of production switchers, but once negotiations started it became clear that the company could provide a large part of the technology platform in readily integrated equipment. The complete solution delivered to MAP included the HVS-490 production switcher, MFR-3000 routing switcher with multi-viewer, Insight servers and Envivo replay management, ClassX graphics platforms and multichannel signal processor. 

Emirates Draw is currently produced in HD, but a major benefit of the FOR-A architecture is that it can be upgraded to 4K Ultra HD at the flick of a switch. The system is built on SDI (with quad SDI for 4K when required) which allows rapid configuration at each location, and the ability to use existing infrastructure when the program uses fixed facilities at Dubai Studio City.

“Our business is in delivering live events and television to the highest possible standards,” said Imad Bassil, owner and GM of MAP. “The new production system we developed built on FOR-A kit allows our team to focus on creating exciting, engaging television, knowing that the underlying technology will deliver what we expect, every time, whatever configuration we need for that particular show.” 

Mohammed Abu Ziyadeh of FOR-A’s Dubai center added: “This was a great showpiece project for us. We demonstrated that FOR-A could deliver all the quality, reliability and ease of use they demanded; that we could provide technical and operational support to MAP’s in-house engineering team; and we could complete the project to their tight timescales.” 

The system was first used for a special program on the UAE National Day, Dec. 2, 2021. Since then, it has been used for the regular Sunday evening Emirates Draw shows.