Youssef El Deeb is an Egyptian-Lebanese-Canadian TV executive and award-winning film maker, book writer, director, producer, and childrenʼs book author. He founded Takhayal Entertainment and its flagship channel Fatafeat TV the first Arabic food network television channel, which was acquired by Discovery Communications in 2013. He is the Managing Director of Mediagates which operates eight encrypted TV channels under the Alfa brand and available via OSN. El Deeb used to be the CEO of the content creation company and Dubai-based film Picture Pond Media.
El Deeb's first job in film was as an Assistant Sound Editor with Gerald Durrell on the series entitled ""
Advertising
In the 80s and 90s, El Deeb wrote, directed, and produced over 150 TV ads for major brands including: KFC, Baskin Robbins, TGI Fridays, Heinz Ketchup, Coca-Cola, Gillette, Sbarro, Hardee’s, Johnson & Johnson, BMW, Datsun and JVC.
In 2002, El Deeb joined The Middle East Broadcasting Center Group, the first private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World, as the Head of Production and Programming and Channel Manager of MBC1. He led the channel with its production facilities in London, Cairo, Beirut, Kuwait and Dubai.
Takhayal Entertainment
El Deeb founded Takhayal Entertainment in 2006, a diversified film production and satellite broadcast entertainment company based in Dubai with an office in Heliopolis, Egypt. El Deeb served as the company's chairman for eight years before Discovery Communications acquired the company in 2013. Takhayal owns and operates Fatafeat TV, the Middle East's top food network in over 55 million households in 21 Arabic-speaking countries. The network's library has over 700 hours of programming, also including a popular monthly magazine that is distributed across several MENA countries. Takhayal, which also has affiliates in Egypt, produces an additional 150 to 200 hours a year. Fatafeat airs both English and Arabic programs. Its English programs include Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Rachael Ray, Giada De Laurentiis, and Martha Stewart as well as and Barefoot Contessa hosted by Ina Garten. Fatafeat's Arabic lineup of shows includes Teslam El Ayadi, a family cooking show, Matbakhna El Arabi hosted by award-winning chef Mohammad Orfali and Wala Bil Ahlam from Egyptian award-winning chef Nermine Hanno Takhayal also owns and publishes Martha Stewart Everyday Food, Martha Stewart Weddings Middle East, Burda Style Arabia and La Cucina Italiana Middle East. Takhayal and El Deeb hosted Stewart for a two-day visit in Dubai to promote her Fatafeat television cookery shows and regional magazine titles in 2011. Takhayal Entertainment was sold to Discovery Networks in 2013, becoming the only indigenous Arab brand acquired by a global broadcaster. The move for Discovery meant further solidifying its reach in the Arabic-speaking world- the growing Middle East and North Africa television market. Mark Hollinger, CEO of Discovery Network International said, "Takhayal's executives, such as Youssef El-Deeb are exceptionally smart and creative and we look forward to working with them to leverage Takhayal's strong position in the Arab-speaking world."
Picture Pond
In 2013, El Deeb founded Picture Pond, a Dubai-based film and TV content creation company.
Mediagates
El Deeb joined Mediagates as Managing Director in early 2015. Mediagates, the former content wing of Orbit Communications Company now known as OSN, is one of the biggest cable companies in the Middle East and North Africa. OSN's president and chairman Samir Abdulhadi called El Deeb joining MediaGates "a significant step in Alfa's relaunch and growth plans... to focus on developing a more successful bouquet across a range of Arab markets."
Films & Books
Youssef El Deeb produced his first Arabic feature filmAl Abaa' Al Sighar starring Duraid Lahham and Hanan Tork. The film marked Lahham's return to cinema in the first family entertainment in the Arab world in the past 25 years. The following year, El Deeb produced Ass Wa Lazk, which won the Best Film Award at the 2006 Cairo International Film Festival. El Deeb wrote and directed 'Love's Improvisations', an experimental Arabic feature film that premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival 2012. It was screened at the St. Tropez and Madrid film festivals. The film also won its lead talent 'Best Actor' at the London International Film Festival. In 2019 El Deeb published A picture book for his toddler grandchildren and in 2020 launched Giddou.com a free children's education resource.
