Over 3,000 hours of Arabic content will be provided by Istikana, including cartoons, films, children's TV, and documentaries, as well as international television series dubbed into Arabic.

"The demand for Arabic content is rapidly growing in the region, however content is limited. Our partnership with Istikana will give our consumers the unique chance to access one of the largest premium Arabic content libraries in the region," said Vinod Nair, general manager TV business, Samsung Gulf Electronics.

Samer Abdin, co-founder of Istikana added: "Smart TVs are the future for VOD delivery. We are proud to have the global market leader Samsung as our partner in enabling users to access our rapidly growing library of premium Arab VOD content.

"Istikana's mission is to provide premium content to our users whenever they want and on whatever device they want. Our Samsung partnership is a key element in that mission. Now users can enjoy Istikana's full selection of content on the web, mobile and finally on Samsung smart TVs," said Abdin.

In addition to Istikana, Samsung's 250 smart TV applications include Dubai Media Corporation's streamed television stations; 60 Indian channels from YuppTV; Al Jazeera; the Arabian Radio Network; and DEWA, a UAE-developed business solutions app.

Samsung says it aims to secure further business partnerships 'to provide locally tailored content and services' to consumers in the Middle East and North Africa.