MUMBAI: Sony, the consumer electronics brand, announced its joint venture with the Rotana Audio Visual Group for the launch of the first ever 3D Arabic music video featuring one of the region's most loved singing stars, Najwa Karam.

Audiences got the first look at the 3D version of the music video of Karam's song titled 'Ma Fi Nom' at an exclusive premiere held yesterday (25 July) at ABC Achrafieh theatre in Beirut. Enthusiasts can now view the 3D music video across 600 Sony outlet stores throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

Osamu Miura, Managing Director, Sony Gulf, said, "This collaboration is in essence the beginning of a very exciting journey in the Arab entertainment industry and we are very proud to be involved in such a significant way. The lack of exciting local content for the Middle East market is the one thing that stands in the way of a wider adoption of 3D. So, we are very happy to partner with Rotana, the Arab world's largest music label and are grateful to Rotana for signing up the Arab world's number one music sensation Najwa Karam to create with us the world's first 3D Arabic Music Video."

"Quality 3D programming is vital to boost an increased adoption of the technology. Sony is uniquely poised to drive the popularity of 3D through its thorough understanding of the technology. As a consumer electronics manufacturer, Sony pioneered the development of 3D technology and is now a global leader in 3D products and technology. This venture marks Sony's foray into 3D content development in the Middle East, creating a strong foundation for 360-degree integration of Sony 3D technology in this market," Osamu added.

Speaking at the event, Hady Hajjar, Executive Marketing Manager, Rotana Audio Sector, commented, "Sony's vast and superior understanding of every aspect of 3D technology automatically made them the ideal partner to create the first 3D Arabic music video and we are extremely happy to bring the excitement of 3D to the Arab music world with Sony's cutting-edge technologies."

Following its 2010 launch of 3D BRAVIA televisions, 3D-enabled digital cameras and other 3D-enabled home entertainment devices in the Middle East, Sony recently launched the VAIO F-Series notebook, its first 3D-enabled laptop and the Handycam HDR-TD10, its first 3D-enabled camcorder.

This landmark joint venture to produce Najwa Karam's debut 3D music video begins an era of 3D production in the region and reinforces Sony's commitment to promoting 3D technology and maintaining its position as an industry leader and original content producer. Through the premiere of this 3D music video, Sony now boasts a holistic 3D portfolio realising Sony's 3D World proposition that promises an end-to-end 3D experience.

Najwa Karam's debut 3D video was shot over three days in Northern Lebanon at Nahr Ibrahim and at Mansourieh with one of the biggest production budgets in the Middle East. The feat was accomplished with the assistance of three professional teams from the US and the UK and the Lebanese W&P Production Group, which undertook extensive research on 3D techniques to familiarize the Middle East crew with the breakthrough technology, including the handling of sophisticated 3D equipment and digital cameras that were used for the shoot.

Key members of this first-ever 3D initiative included Hady Hajjar, Executive Marketing Manager, Rotana Audio Sector, Mathew Mathai, General Manager, Marketing Communications, Sony Gulf, and Mohammed Judeh, Manager, Sony Gulf. 3D stereography consultation was provided by Clyde Desouza, a senior stereographic consultant in the region.