Sowt has produced 30 shows since its launch in 2016, while Finyal is responsible for popular Arabic fiction podcasts including ‘1001 Nights,’ ‘Juha’ and ‘The 40 Thieves’ DUBAI: Sowt, an independent podcast and media company based in Jordan, has announced the acquisition of Finyal Media, an award-winning podcast production company in Dubai. The acquisition is described as a significant step for Sowt, which has produced 30 shows since its launch in 2016. It marks a substantial push forward for Sowt’s intellectual property, audience-growth and commercial opportunities, according to the company. The two companies have collaborated with each other in the past, and the acquisition is almost an organic growth of their relationship. “We have a similar kind of philosophy, and we both care deeply about the content. So, it was a very logical alliance of sorts,” said Ramsey Tesdell, CEO of Sowt Media. Sowt recently announced the addition of audiobooks to Safahat Sowt, its service that offers audio versions of articles from selected publishers across the Middle East and North Africa. “As an organization, we’re very interested in high quality content. We don’t want to do the most content; we want to produce the best content,” said Tesdell. It’s why, he added, the company has chosen to expand into audio articles and audiobooks choosing only about six books a year. “That is a great way to expand the product, but also focus on a high-quality experience for the user,” he said. Finyal Media has produced a number of popular Arabic fiction podcasts, including “1001 Nights,” “Juha” and “The 40 Thieves.” In 2020, it established its talent division, Finyal Studios, which serves as a hub for Arabic podcasters. In the same year, it launched a talent hunt, inviting content creators from across the Middle East and North Africa region to become part of its network. While Finyal Media will not exist as a separate company, it will continue to function as its own brand. Some employees will stay on as consultants, while others were let go prior to the acquisition, Tesdell explained. The acquisition was financed by the Media Development Investment Fund and Sowt Media. MDIF said it has been investing in independent media around the world since 1995. “Sowt is a clear leader in the Arabic-language podcast space, producing original, high-quality content, and we are a long-term admirer of their work,” said Bilal Randeree, MDIF program director for the MENA region. “The right opportunity to fund Sowt finally came up and we’re proud to support them on this next step in their journey.” Sowt’s content is of “particular interest to youth across the Arab world,” Randeree added. “Content of this quality is rare but growing in the region and Sowt has potential to keep growing as more audiences come online.” For Sowt, “it’s about creating value and content, being creative, and building the ecosystem one brick at a time. And this acquisition is several bricks at one time — it’s a big step forward,” said Tesdell.