Ossama Youssef

Ossama Youssef (born 24 September 1979) is an Egyptian entrepreneur with a track record of successful media start-ups. He is the founder and CEO of DiwanVideos, a leading international multi-channel network based in Cairo and Dubai. Through DiwanVideos, Youssef revolutionized the perception of digital media in Egypt and the MENA region by helping content creators such as Sono Cairo, a subsidiary of Egypt’s state-owned television,^[1] and advertisers understand its importance as a medium, rather than their traditional focus on television. He has also contributed to online copyright protection by educating and training the first group of YouTube Partners in Egypt.^[2][3]

Early life

Youssef was born in 1979. He received primary education in Saudi Arabia and ranked first in nationwide high school exams. He moved to Egypt to pursue his undergraduate and post-graduate studies at Al-Azhar University,where he obtained a Master’s degree in Translation and Interpretation. In 2009 he was offered a full scholarship by the Fulbright Program to pursue PhD studies in the United States, but turned it down to focus on media entrepreneurship.

Career

Early career

Youssef began his career as a professional translator and interpreter. He was employed as an assistant lecturer in the Faculty of Languages and Translation at Al-Azhar University between 2003 and 2012. In 2003, he was the project manager for a live subtitling project of Ramadan prayers broadcast from Mecca and Medina. Youssef also worked as Vice President of Sales at the IT television network NoonTV from 2005 to 2006.

Q-Soft

In 2009 Youssef co-founded the media company Q-Soft with fellow Egyptian entrepreneur Tarek ElKazzaz. Q-Soft went on to develop and produce the groundbreaking Egyptian political satire show Al Bernameg, presented by Bassem Youssef. The show subsequently earned its presenter and Q-Soft many awards and accolades worldwide, with Bassem Youssef described as the “Egyptian Jon Stewart” and named one of the Time 100 most influential people in the world for 2013,^[4] Time.com, 18 April 2013]. In 2013 Bassem Youssef won a Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists,^[5] recognizing his role in advocating for freedom of speech.

DiwanVideos

In 2010 Youssef established DiwanVideos, recognizing the huge potential for growth in the digital media market in the Middle East. Diwan Videos initially launched with YouTube Spain in 2009 because the video sharing platform did not have a partner programme in the Arab region then.^[6] DiwanVideos is now the biggest multi-channel network in the region, with over 7 billion views and 8 million subscriptions.^[7] It is one of the top 70 multi-channel networks worldwide, the only regional multi-channel network with this ranking.^[8] In 2010, having developed a full team of YouTube Certified experts, DiwanVideos qualified as the first YouTube Certified Partner in the Middle East and Africa. In addition to its Cairo main office, DiwanVideos has a regional office in Dubai, serving the GCC countries and more than 200 clients from different parts of the world including India, Canada, and the United Kingdom. DiwanVideos clients include two Time 100 most influential people in the world honorees: Muslim preacher and TV personality Amr Khaled and Bassem Youssef. Other clients include Toyor Aljannah, a TV network specialized in children music content, and SpaceToon, a leading animated TV channel in the Middle East.^[9] In 2014, Diwan partnered with the video-sharing platforms Vuclip and Dailymotion , allowing the company to expand its demographic and geographic reach.

Qualifications and recognition

Youssef is a YouTube Certified expert in Advanced Digital Rights and Audience Growth and has been invited by YouTube to train counterparts in Egypt in YouTube management. Youssef is currently pursuing the Executive MBA program at London Business School.

References