YUSUF ISLAMS MOUNTAIN MOVES TO DUBAI MEDIA CITY

Mountain of Light, the multimedia production company of former pop-icon and leading Islamic humanitarian, Yusuf Islam will soon establish its regional headquarters in Dubai Media City. The move is aimed at expanding and improving the availability and distribution of the companys products in the Middle and Far East. Mountain of Light is a unique company that produces CDs, books, videos and DVDs of Islamic cultural and religious literature for the growing Western Muslim family market.

DUBAI: September, 2002

Mountain of Light, the multimedia production company of former pop-icon and leading Islamic humanitarian, Yusuf Islam will soon establish its regional headquarters in Dubai Media City.

The move is aimed at expanding and improving the availability and distribution of the companys products in the Middle and Far East. Mountain of Light is a unique company that produces CDs, books, videos and DVDs of Islamic cultural and religious literature for the growing Western Muslim family market.

Yusuf Islam is an extraordinarily committed campaigner for educational and humanitarian causes not just in the Muslim world but all around the globe," said Abdulhamid Juma, CEO of Dubai Media City. We are extremely happy to welcome him to the community here at Dubai Media City. His commitment to social causes will hopefully be an inspiration to companies here," he added.    

Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens was one of the most celebrated pop icons and critically acclaimed songwriters of his generation. At the height of his popularity, he continuously topped the charts in US and Europe and sold millions of his reflective folk and rock albums worldwide.

Following a bout of tuberculosis during his early career, he undertook a search for peace and ultimate spiritual truth. This yearning resulted in his embracing Islam in December 1977.

He was originally introduced to Islam through his brother David who happened to visit the Golden Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem in 1976. Struck by its peace and tranquility, he bought for him a copy of the Quran as a birthday present.

Since embracing Islam, Yusuf has married and now has five children. He is a leading and active member of the Muslim community in the West and is principally involved in two areas: humanitarian relief work and education; he has established several successful schools in London. Yusuf is also the chairman of four charity organizations and is the Director of several private companies.

Small Kindness, his charity registered in UK, is currently helping children and victims of war in the Balkan regions of Kosova, Bosnia, Albania and Montenegro. The charity is also affiliated with the UN and was represented by Yusuf personally at the 55th Annual Convention of NGOs held early this September in New York.

Universal will be releasing a new Box Set of 80 of his hits and tracks in USA and Europe early next year. The initial proceeds are being given to charity. About his past Musical legacy he comments, The songs of my yesterday seem to portray those issues that represent the archetypal Human condition: the search for peace and eternal happiness in the rough playground of life."

Since 1993 Yusuf Islam has once again turned his attention to work in the recording studio resulting in the release of The Life of the Last Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), a spoken word production which was designed for the Muslim and non-Muslim public. The record, his first official release for almost twenty years, was released on the Mountain of Light record label.

About his return to the media world Yusuf says: Im very pleased that Mountain of Light is serving, in some humble way, the cause of peace and understanding by providing material, which hitherto has been hidden or inaccessible to a large majority, particularly in the West, where Islam is getting such bad press.

Dubai Media City is fast becoming a hub of information and communication resources in the world, I hope well be able to echo some of the natural beauty of Islamic Culture and its abounding Knowledge to the increasingly Global-centric media agenda."

Yusuf has to date released ten albums under the Mountain of Light label, which continue to educate and entertain the masses.

Yusuf Islams commitment to global and Islamic humanitarian causes is a source of inspiration for us in the region," said Abdulhamid Juma, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Media City. The Dubai Media City community will certainly be enriched by the presence of his company Mountain of Light. We believe Dubai Media City will be the ideal location for the company because it is a perfect base for reaching out to the Middle East audience and communicating the organisations messages," he added.

Mr Islam will be visiting Dubai at the end of the month for an international educational Workshop. He and other founders of Muslim Schools in the West are currently developing textbooks, films and other materials for schools worldwide through the International Board of Educational Research and Resources (IBERR).

About Dubai Media City

Strategically located in Dubai at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Dubai Media City is rapidly emerging as the region's media hub. The City provides an advanced infrastructure and supportive environment for media-related businesses to operate globally out of Dubai. Dubai Media City is the place where every kind of media business, specifically - Broadcasting, Publishing, Advertising, Public Relations, Research, Music, New Media and Production and Post Production will thrive. The facility offers an environment that allows companies and individuals to operate with collective synergy and freedom. Dubai Media City - The Freedom to Create

For further information please contact:

Amira Abdulla
Assistant PR Manager
Dubai Media City
Tel: +971 4 3914578
Fax: +971 4 3914589
e-mail: amira.abdulla@dubaimediacity.co.ae
web: www.dubaimediacity.com