Showtime Arabia and Orbit merger: the investment companies involved

Middle East consumers have witnessed the fierce battle between two pay-tv channels Orbit and Showtime Arabia for many years. Today they announced the are merging.

For us in the private investment community, the investment and holding companies behind those are more important: Showtime Arabia is owned as a joint-venture between KIPCO, the Kuwait-based investment firm, and U.S. media conglomerate CBS Corp. Orbit is owned by Orbit Group, a unit of a Saudi Arabia Mawarid Group.

KIPCO (Kuwait Projects Co) controls assets worth $19 billion! (More details on the merger from The National and Reuters).