Sheikh Mohammed's virtual presence at the Arab Media Forum in Dubai on Wednesday. WAM

In the virtual presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Mona Ghanem Al Marri, President of the Dubai Press Club, delivered the opening speech at the 19th edition of the Arab Media Forum (AMF).

Organised virtually by the Dubai Press Club, in adherence with COVID-19 precautionary protocols, the 2020 edition of AMF brought together prominent industry leaders to discuss the outlook for the region’s media sector.

Al Marri said that the keenness of media figures to participate in this annual event, despite the exceptional circumstances, sends an important message on the need to continue working to develop the media sector in the Arab world.

“The current crisis has been a real test for media around the world. It pushed us to think differently about how to create a better Arab media industry. Many media organisations in the region have been affected by the global crisis due to the declining advertising market, which is the main source of revenue. However, media content not only continued to be delivered during these difficult times, it also evolved, particularly across digital platforms,” Al Marri said.

Speaking on the issue of audience trust and the participation of youth in the industry, Al Marri said, “There is no doubt that today the stakes are higher for content, digital tools and platforms that offer Arab audiences a more impactful and engaging media experience. The biggest challenge for Arab media lies in the crisis of trust among large segments of the public, especially the youth. Arab media institutions do not satisfy the needs of the youth who are set to bring profound transformations in the future. The youth need to be given more attention.”

The President of the Dubai Press Club pointed out that the Organising Committee of the Arab Media Forum was keen to include in the event’s agenda developments that had an impact on the region at various levels, especially political and social. The main focus, however, was on the COVID-19 pandemic and its profound economic, social and health impact, all of which affect the future of Arab media.

The Arab Media Forum, which was launched under the guidance of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum 20 years ago, is the largest gathering of the media industry in the region. The prestigious event has played a significant role in fostering dialogue between media industry players in the Arab world and their counterparts globally on the important transformations affecting the media industry.

The vision of the Arab Media Forum is to transform the media landscape in the region by encouraging the adoption of the latest technology, industry trends, and international best practices.

Held under the theme “Arab Media: The Future is Digital,” the 19th edition of the Arab Media Forum saw more than 10,000 people tune in to the Forum’s sessions, which were broadcast live on a special platform set up for the Forum and through the live feature on DPC’s official Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The Arab Journalism Award honoured 11 winners, selected from about 6,000 nominations. The winners of the Award represented daily newspapers, magazines, online web portals and various Media organisations from the Arab world.

The winners of the Arab Journalism Award 2020 are: Media Personality of the Year: Nayla Tueni, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Annahar newspaper, Lebanon. Best Column Award: Othman Mirghani, Editor-in-Chief of the independent newspaper Al Tayar, Sudan. Political Journalism Award: Mohamed Amin Al Masri from Al Ahram newspaper, Egypt. Economic Journalism Award: Al Khaleej newspaper, UAE.

Investigative Reporting Award: Jamal Jouhar from Asharq Al Awsat newspaper. Press Interview Award: Mohammed Mansour from Al Roeya newspaper, UAE.
Cultural Journalism Award: Tareq Al Taher from Akhbar Al Adab magazine, Egypt. Sports Journalism Award: Motaz El Shamy from Al Ittihad newspaper, UAE.

Photojournalism Award: Saber Nooraldin from the European Press photo Agency. Young Journalist Award: Samar Saleh from Al Watan newspaper, Egypt.  Abdul Samad Edinadin from Bayane Al Yaoume newspaper, Morocco. Ahmed Atef from Al Dostor newspaper, Egypt. Smart Journalism Award: Youm7 newspaper, Egypt.

WAM