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VOL. V NO. 8, March 27-April 09, 2009

Hopes for Development at the Arab Media Forum

The sixth Arab Media Forum opened on April 5 in Dubai, focusing on the relationship between media and development, reports The Kuwait Times. Development, participants agreed, is key to solving the dilemma of poverty, providing jobs, erasing illiteracy, achieving social and economic justice between various classes of society and granting the freedom of expression.

Kuwait's Acting Minister of Information Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah talked about the larger role of the media. "Media today has become a main party to all issues that concern the Arab world," he said.

Al-Sabah also stressed that the role of the media is no longer confined to being a tool for entertainment and for enforcing political viewpoints; it is rather a platform for sharing and discussing different views.

Madhi Khamees, Secretary General of the Arab Media Forum added that "media can be very helpful for the realization of comprehensive development."

Hedayah Darwish, a Saudi female reporter and founder of the first daily newspaper in the Gulf, commented, "It is a great opportunity to meet different experts in the field and exchange ideas with them. This is a chance for us as Arabs to prove that we are not ignorant towards media, nor are we behind world media."

Darwish, who started working in journalism over 20 years ago, says she replaced print journalism with electronic journalism in 2003. "Electronic journalism is the future of journalism…it is now time to let our voice cross the geographical boundaries and reach the entire universe. This can only be done through online journalism."

Attending the event from Iraq, correspondent Mazen Ali of Al-Iraqiya news channel said that this forum was much-needed. "The topics that are discussed in the program are of a very crucial importance to our media today, especially in Iraq where we are facing a newly-born media," he said.

Meanwhile, the Dubai Press Club has announced the launch of the official website for the eighth Arab Media Forum, according to AME Info. The Forum will take place on May 11-12, 2009 at the Atlantis Hotel in Palm Jumeirah, culminating with the distribution of the Arab Journalism Awards.

Maryam Bin Fahad, Executive Director of the Dubai Press Club, said that the timely launch of the website was meant to keep pace with the soaring popularity and importance of the Forum.

The Press Club has also launched channels on YouTube that allow users to watch the various events held at the Club as well as the previous sessions of the Forum.

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