CNN relocates Abu Dhabi bureau, upgrades studio capabilities

CNN has moved its Abu Dhabi bureau to a new broadcast facility inside twofour54’s Yas Creative Hub, which is a purpose-built development for content creators including media, entertainment and gaming.

At nearly 6,500 square feet, the bureau serves 40 staff and is one of the network’s key international production facilities alongside London and Hong Kong. 

The facility is designed with a hybrid architecture combining digital and IP workflows with the flexibility of NDI added in.

The facility includes a roughly 900 square feet studio designed by Jago Design which serves as the new home of CNN International’s flagship current affairs program, “Connect the World with Becky Anderson.” The studio includes a large Unilumin LED video wall which CNN notes includes 10 million pixels and three fully robotic camera systems from Vinten with prompting from Autoscript. 

Four edit suites are also included in the facility with an open-concept newsroom.

In the production control room, a NewTek Tricaster Elite 2 is used along with graphics engines from Vizrt. 

“This new facility really supercharges our operation in Abu Dhabi.  Everything we have built here enhances our ability to tell stories from this region and beyond, from the state-of-the-art studio and production facilities, through to the workspace itself, which is geared towards collaborative, multi-platform content creation.  We’re also very happy to be part of the new creative community developing here in the Yas Creative Hub,” said Anderson. 

Advertisement

CNN first opened an Abu Dhabi bureau in 2009 at Emirate, the previous twofour54 campus location. 

Along with “Connect the World,” the bureau is home to feature programming “Decoded” and “Marketplace Middle East,” along with various CNN Digital properties.

Along with the Abu Dhabi studio, Jago Design also handled the London studio for CNN International which launched in early 2020.