Dubai: The 21st Arab Media Forum opened in Dubai today in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council.
Welcoming the gathering of over 3,000 media professionals, Mona Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, said: “The Arab Media Forum has always been an influential event keeping pace with changes, technological or otherwise, and helping to shape the future of the media industry.”
She added that 10 years ago, when AMF was held and the audience was asked how many of those present owned cellphones, only a few raised their hands. “Today, if we ask the same question, everyone will raise their hands.”
The vice chairperson said 64 per cent of the population in Dubai uses smart phones and social media to source their news. Artificial Intelligence is part and parcel of the changing landscape of media, she added.
Mona Al Marri stressed on the responsibility of the media to move through this changing landscape, using new technologies and models to innovate rapidly and meet the needs of audiences.
The welcome address was followed by a discussion on ‘The Arabian Gulf’s Future Amidst Regional Conflict’ where Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the GCC spoke on the need for economic integration between the six GCC states.
GCC economic integration
After the welcome address, the Dubai Media Council Chairman and Vice-Chairperson attended a session titled ‘The Arabian Gulf’s Future Amidst Regional Conflict’ where Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi urged member countries to work towards long-term economic integration.
Al-Budaiwi said the GCC has the world’s eighth largest economy with a GDP of $2.4 trillion. “The region has an annual growth rate of approximately 6 per cent, which is targeted to be raised to $6 trillion by 2050,” he said, adding that the six countries that make up the GCC conduct $107 billion worth of intra-regional trade while GCC sovereign funds manage investments worth $3.25 trillion.
Highlighting the importance of “neutrality, a candid position and transparency in foreign policy”, he said the GCC maintains an “impartial stance, equidistant from all parties involved”, as reflected in the meetings held by GCC leaders with US President Joe Biden in July 2022, and Chinese President Xi Jinping in December 2022.
He stressed on the importance of Saudi-Iranian reconciliation in fostering regional stability despite sporadic tensions like the recent Houthi drone attack on the Yemen-Saudi border that killed two Bahraini soldiers.
The GCC Secretary-General said he had a constructive meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on the sidelines of the recent UN General Assembly in New York.
He lauded the exceptional political and military coordination among GCC states.
“What we need is economic integration,” he reiterated.
Media reminded of its responsibility in rapidly changing tech landscape
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed attends event’s opening welcoming over 3,000 participants
Dubai: The 21st Arab Media Forum 2023, which opened in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the Dubai Media Council, in Dubai today made a strong pitch for the media to embrace new technology in a rapidly changing landscape, even as it pledged to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence on media content.
Mona Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, and President of Dubai Press Club, in her welcome address to a packed hall at the Madinat Jumeirah where the two-day forum is being held, said, “The Arab Media Forum has always been an influential event keeping pace with changes, technological or otherwise, and helping to shape the future of the media industry.”
She recalled how just 10 years ago, when the audience at the AMF was asked how many of those present owned cellphones, only a few raised their hands. “Today, if we ask the same question, everyone will raise their hands,” she noted.
She said 64 per cent of the population in Dubai uses smart phones and social media now to source their news. Artificial Intelligence has become a part and parcel of the changing media landscape, she added.
Mona Al Marri stressed on the responsibility of the media to move through this changing landscape, using new technologies and models to innovate rapidly and meet the needs of audiences.
GCC economic integration
After the welcome address, the Dubai Media Council Chairman and Vice-Chairperson attended a session titled ‘The Arabian Gulf’s Future Amidst Regional Conflict’ where Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi urged member countries to work towards long-term economic integration.
Al-Budaiwi said the GCC has the world’s eighth largest economy with a GDP of $2.4 trillion. “The region has an annual growth rate of approximately 6 per cent, which is targeted to be raised to $6 trillion by 2050,” he said, adding that the six countries that make up the GCC conduct $107 billion worth of intra-regional trade while GCC sovereign funds manage investments worth $3.25 trillion.
Highlighting the importance of “neutrality, a candid position and transparency in foreign policy”, he said the GCC maintains an “impartial stance, equidistant from all parties involved”, as reflected in the meetings held by GCC leaders with US President Joe Biden in July 2022, and Chinese President Xi Jinping in December 2022.
He stressed on the importance of Saudi-Iranian reconciliation in fostering regional stability despite sporadic tensions like the recent Houthi drone attack on the Yemen-Saudi border that killed two Bahraini soldiers.
The GCC Secretary-General said he had a constructive meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on the sidelines of the recent UN General Assembly in New York.
He lauded the exceptional political and military coordination among GCC states.
“What we need is economic integration,” he reiterated.
