“We Don’t Follow Trends, We Anticipate Them”: Inside Al Mashhad’s Digital-First Revolution with Maroun Bedran

In an era where attention spans are short but expectations are high, few media brands in the Arab world are evolving as rapidly—or as effectively—as Al Mashhad. The Dubai-based Pan-Arab TV network has positioned itself as a digital-first powerhouse, reaching Arabic-speaking audiences from Baghdad to Morocco.

Leading this transformation is Maroun Bedran, Head of Digital at Al Mashhad. With a forward-thinking strategy rooted in data, speed, and creativity, Maroun is reshaping how content is produced, distributed, and consumed by Gen Z and millennials across the globe.

We sat down with him to explore how Al Mashhad is not only keeping up with a digital-first world—but helping to shape it.

Digital Journey: Maroun, thank you for joining us. Let’s start with Al Mashhad’s digital-first strategy. What does that mean on the ground?

Maroun Bedran:
 Great to be here. Digital-first for us means building content and products that are made for mobile, made for social, and made for now. We’re not repurposing TV—we’re reimagining it for a generation that lives online.

Our newsroom is designed around agility. Content creators are trained to ideate, shoot, edit, and publish in record time. We treat every platform – whether it’s TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, or our OTT app – as a priority channel. This allows us to stay relevant, reactive, and, most importantly, real.

Digital Journey: You’ve had major success on social media. Can you share some numbers?

Maroun Bedran:

Absolutely. Every month, our content generates over 1.5 billion video views across social media. That scale isn’t just about volume—it’s about resonance. We’re reaching Arabic-speaking audiences not only in the MENA region, but globally, from Europe to North America to Southeast Asia.

We’ve built formats that speak directly to Gen Z and millennials: short, punchy, visually rich, and emotionally engaging. It’s a constant feedback loop—we learn from what works and we build on it every day.

Digital Journey: How does data shape that content engine?

Maroun Bedran:
Data is the backbone of everything we do. We analyze engagement, watch time, retention curves, audience demographics, and more. But it’s not just about reacting—it’s about predicting.

For instance, if we see a spike in interest around a cultural topic or a regional issue, we don’t just follow—we act. We create tailored, high-quality content in formats that fit the platform and the audience. Our editorial decisions are informed by real-time insights, not assumptions.

Digital Journey: You’ve also built your own OTT platform. What sets it apart?

Maroun Bedran:
 Yes, we’ve launched a full-fledged OTT platform with a user-friendly interface designed to make it incredibly easy to navigate our video-on-demand catalog. Whether it’s news, talk shows, documentaries, or original series, users can explore our content seamlessly across devices.

This isn’t just a technical achievement—it’s a strategic one. It gives us direct access to our audience, richer data, and full control over the user experience. And as streaming habits continue to evolve, we’re ready to meet our audience wherever they are.

Digital Journey: You’ve mentioned that your team works like digital-native creators. How do you maintain that culture?

Maroun Bedran:
 By hiring for creativity, speed, and versatility. Our content creators aren’t locked into one role—they ideate, research, film, edit, and analyze performance. It’s a startup mindset in a media company setting.

We also believe in constant training—especially in mobile journalism, vertical video production, and AI-assisted workflows. And we give our creators freedom to experiment. If something resonates, we scale it. If not, we move on quickly.

Digital Journey: What role does AI play in all of this?

Maroun Bedran:
 AI is helping us move faster and smarter. We use it for everything from auto-captioning and thumbnail generation to editorial planning and performance forecasting. But we never forget the human element—AI supports creativity, it doesn’t replace it.

We’re also exploring generative AI for visual storytelling and data visualization, and we’re developing internal automation tools to streamline our publishing workflow across platforms.

Digital Journey: Last question—what’s your long-term vision for Al Mashhad?

Maroun Bedran:
 Our vision is to become the most innovative, youth-focused Arabic media brand—not just in the MENA region, but worldwide. We’ll continue to invest in talent, in technology, and in building direct relationships with our audience.

From expanding our OTT features, to launching creator-led initiatives, to building deeper data ecosystems, everything we do is about serving our audience better and staying ahead of the curve.

Digital Journey: Maroun, this has been incredibly insightful. Thank you.

Maroun Bedran:
 Thank you, it’s a privilege to be building the future of Arabic media with such a passionate team.