six  45 minute programmes broadcast 2009 by La7, one of the most innovative television networks in Italy.

A Journey along the path of the 21st century's global wealth

Produced by FBC Media and presented by award winning journalist Alan Friedman, The New Silk Road is a six-part documentary series focusing on the economies and the movers and shakers of Asia and the Gulf.

The Arab world and Asia have a legacy of trade ties dating back to the caravans that carried textiles and spices on the original Silk Road and the dhows that criss-crossed the Indian Ocean.

Today a new Silk Road stretches from the gas fields of Qatar and Azerbaijan to the gleaming metropolis of Beijing, the vast plantations of Malaysia and the sculpted paddi fields of Bali. The merchants on this new route are Arab investors seeking investment opportunities for their petrodollars and Asians searching out markets for the goods churned out by their factories and agribusinesses.

Each week Alan travels to a different country to seek out the personalities, the rich and famous, the powerful and the stars of this new world. He also explores the curiosities, customs, lifestyles, art and architecture as well as the breathtaking landscapes and commentating on the global changes that are now changing our world.

The style is inimitably its own - informal yet informative, casual but compelling.