OSN will launch 4K television services by the end of the year, according to Martin Stewart, its chief executive.

The plans for 4K, which offers video at four times the resolution of HD video, were unveiled on Tuesday in Dubai alongside an announcement of a new pricing structure for OSN channels.

"We will be going to 4K, probably towards the end of this year. It’s something we’ve been working on," Mr Stewart told reporters. Such content will be available to direct OSN subscribers and those who access OSN content via Etisalat and du, he said.

The rival broadcaster beIN, which is based in Qatar, announced the launch of the region’s first 4K channels in May last year, ahead of the European Championship football tournament. 4K content is also available via the online streaming service Netflix.

Etisalat and du both announced plans to begin offering 4K content in 2016, but have yet to do so.

On Tuesday, OSN announced the restructuring of its prices, unveiling five new channel packages starting from Dh79 a month. The company is to release details on Wednesday on its website.

"Television viewing habits have changed and with the new packs, customers can customise what they want to watch, paying only for their packages of choice," said Mr Stewart.

"This is just the first step in an exciting journey ahead with a number of further initiatives this year as new OSN."