computer science

MBC Group

MBC Group is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MBC Group rather than just read about it. In short: MBC Group is a Saudi media conglomerate and the leading media group in the Middle East and North Africa, widely described as the region’s largest broadcaster. It was launched in 1991 by Saudi businessman Waleed bin Ibrahim, who serves as its chairman.

Key takeaways

MBC Group belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MBC Group to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MBC Group from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MBC Group is a Saudi media conglomerate and the leading media group in the Middle East and North Africa, widely described as the region’s largest broadcaster. It was launched in 1991 by Saudi businessman Waleed bin Ibrahim, who serves as its chairman. The group is majority owned by the Public Investment Fund., a Saudi state-owned entity.

History MBC Group was founded in London in 1991 with the launch of MBC 1, the first private Arabic satellite channel. The group expanded to Dubai in 2002. In 2011, MBC reported 165 million viewers. MBC Hope launched in June 2013 to handle social engagement campaigns like "Syrians without an address" and "Stars on board." In 2017, it expanded to Egypt to support female entrepreneurs. In 2022, MBC relocated to Riyadh and expanded its operations. The group now oversees Shahid (largest Arabic streaming platform), 19+ TV/radio channels, MBC Studios, MBC Academy, and MBC Talent Agency. MBC partners with telecoms and international production studios, and also develops projects in video games, NFTs, and digital currencies. In 2023, 60% of MBC group was owned by Istedamah Holding Company (a subsidiary of the Saudi government's Ministry of Finance), with the rest belonging to its founder Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim. In 2023, MBC Group announced its initial public offering (IPO). The offering consisted of a primary offering of 33,250,000 new ordinary shares, representing 10% of the company's share capital post-listing. This move marked a significant step in the company's financial strategy and opened up new avenues for investment and growth. By October 2024, the stake owned by Istedamah had dropped to 54%, and this stake was transferred to the Public Investment Fund in November 2024. In 2023, total revenue reached SAR 3.7 billion (+6.2%) and net profit SAR 69 million (+44.8%). 60% of MBC was owned by Istedamah Holding Company (Saudi Ministry of Finance subsidiary) and the rest by Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim. MBC announced its IPO on the Tadawul in November 2023, with a share price range of SAR 23–25. The IPO raised SAR 831 million with huge demand. Following the IPO, shares rose 30% on debut (Jan 8, 2024) and 134% by Jan 25, 2024. 2024 revenue: SAR 4.2 billion (+13.1%); net profit SAR 426.1 million (+515.2%). In September 2025, the PIF became a major shareholder, acquiring 54% through Istedamah Holding Company for SAR 7.469 billion.

Television channels

Streaming platform MBC Shahid is the first free video on demand service in the Middle East and North Africa and one of the region’s most popular streaming platforms, offering the largest library of Arabic content. It is also the largest premium video on demand service globally outside China, the US, and India and operates as an over‑the‑top streaming platform delivering content directly over the internet. Shahid features MBC's own shows along with dubbed or subtitled foreign content. In January 2020, it partnered with Disney and Fox to add over 3,000 hours of content, including Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney classics such as Frozen, alongside nine new Arabic originals. In December 2024, Shahid led the subscription video‑on‑demand market in the Middle East and North Africa with approximately 4.4 million subscribers, ahead of competitors such as YouTube Premium and Netflix.

Radio stations

Subsidiaries

MBC Studios In 2018, MBC established its own production studio to produce film and television series targeting at Middle-Eastern audiences. MBC Studios later expanded to work with Hollywood studios to produce English-language features. MBC Studios has established global partnerships with major international production studios in Hollywood And London to launch joint film and television projects, most notably the film Desert Warrior, a co-production between MBC Studios and JB Pictures. The film stars Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Sir Ben Kingsley, Sharlto Copley, Ghassan Massoud, Sami Bouajila, and Lamis Ammar, and is directed by Rupert Wyatt. The screenplay was co-written by Rupert Wyatt, Erica Beeney, and David Self, and the film's main scenes were shot in the Saudi Arabian cities of NEOM and Tabuk with support from the NEOM Media Industries sector. It is scheduled to have its Middle East and North Africa premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah in 2025, following its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival in September 2025 in Switzerland. The film Kandahar, starring Gerard Butler, was also filmed in Saudi Arabia. MBC Studios also produces Arabic works with international standards and broadcasts them globally, such as the crime drama series "Rashash" and "Rise of the Witches." In Ramadan/April 2025, MBC 1 aired the series "Muawiya," produced by MBC Studios, which is considered one of the largest historical productions in Arabic drama. In September of the same year, the Venice International Film Festival hosted the premiere of the film "The Voice of Hind Rajab," which was co-produced by MBC Studios alongside a number of major Hollywood and international studios, and was written and directed by the Tunisian Kaouther Ben Hania.

Reception In 2007, MBC aired its first Turkish soap opera dubbed into Arabic. These shows became very popular, with over 85 million viewers watching the finale of Gümüş. In 2018, all Turkish programs were removed, reportedly under Saudi government direction. In 2017, several MBC owners were arrested in Riyadh during a corruption crackdown. Chief owner Waleed bin Ibrahim was released after 83 days and found innocent. In 2018–2019, MBC Masr faced criticism for blackface in comedy programs. In October 2024, MBC aired a report labeling Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah, PMF commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani as "faces of terrorism." This led to office vandalism in Baghdad and the suspension of MBC licenses in Iraq and Algeria.

See also Television in Saudi Arabia Lists of television channels List of television networks by country

Notes

References

External links Official website (in Arabic)

Illustrations

MBC FM logo

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MBC Group

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MBC Group claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MBC Group before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MBC Group ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MBC Group

In research: MBC Group appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MBC Group in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MBC Group is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1991 establishments in the United Kingdom, 2024 initial public offerings, Arab mass media, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MBC Group outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MBC Group in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MBC Group means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MBC Group out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MBC Group in simple terms?

Why does MBC Group matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MBC Group?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MBC Group.