▁of ▁Culture , ▁and ▁the ▁show ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁contain ▁five ▁he ats ▁with ▁entries ▁presented ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁pre - record ed ▁video , ▁and ▁the ▁live ▁final . ▁Ent ries ▁from ▁B ots w ana , ▁G amb ia , ▁Guinea - B iss au , ▁Mal aw i , ▁R w anda , ▁Som alia , ▁South ▁Sud an ▁and ▁Sw az il and ▁were ▁already ▁chosen ▁for ▁the ▁competition ▁that ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁backing ▁of ▁UN ES CO , ▁the ▁African ▁Union , ▁and ▁was ▁being ▁spons ored ▁by ▁C oca - Col a ▁at ▁this ▁initial ▁stage . ▁ ▁Arab ▁states ▁from ▁Africa ▁have ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁A SB U ▁organized ▁Arab ▁Song ▁Festival ▁that ▁was ▁hosted ▁at ▁its ▁headquarters ▁in ▁Tun is ▁bien n ial ly ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁and ▁which ▁is ▁planned ▁to ▁rev ive ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁the ▁E BU ▁has ▁announced ▁signing ▁a ▁deal ▁to ▁license ▁the ▁Euro vision ▁Song ▁Cont est ▁format ▁to ▁N ib ras ▁Media ▁company ▁from ▁R iy ad h , ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia ▁that ▁was ▁supposed ▁to ▁produce ▁in ▁partners hip ▁with ▁Tan we er ▁Group ▁from ▁Dub ai , ▁U AE , ▁Euro vision ▁equivalent ▁for ▁M EN A ▁region ▁called ▁Arab ian ▁V ision ▁with ▁a ▁participation ▁of ▁eight ▁or ▁nine ▁broad c aster s , ▁which ▁was ▁not