A businessman from Wenzhou City in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, has purchased a United Arab Emirates state-owned television station.

It is the first TV station in the Middle East to be owned by a Chinese, according to a Wenzhou newspaper report yesterday.

The report did not say how much was paid for the station.

The new owner, Wang Weisheng, who left Wenzhou for the UAE more than 10 years ago, has changed the TV station name to "Arab Alibaba Business Satellite TV," the report said. Wang will be the chairman of the board.

The TV station will start broadcasting on August 1.

Wang, now in Guangzhou City, in Guangdong Province, told the newspaper preparations were in full swing. He said he had set up a Chinese office for the TV station in Guangzhou, and planned to look for advertising clients from this month.

The TV station used to be under Dubai Media City and featured entertainment programs and broadcasts in Arabic and English via the Nilesat satellite.

The station could cover 21 Arabic countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and more than 400 million people could watch its programs.

However, the station's audience share declined last year. Dubai Media City invited Wang to provide programs, TV series or films introducing Chinese scenes and news. Instead, Wang proposed to purchase the TV station.

Wang told the newspaper the new station would provide business information about China to help Chinese firms tap the Middle East market.

(Shanghai Daily June 3, 2006)