Arab Media Summit to feature participants from 26 nations

The Arab Media Summit will be held from May 26 to 28 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event will feature participation from 26 countries, 300 speakers, 175 main sessions, 35 workshops, 5 agreements, and closed-door sessions focused on media professionals.

Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, President of the Dubai Press Club, and Chair of the Forum’s Organising Committee, stated that the event will bring together leading media figures and leaders from the UAE and across the Arab region.

The Summit aims to continue its mission of discussing the present and future of the media sector, exploring collaboration opportunities among television, radio, print, and digital media institutions to enhance the capabilities of Arab media. Al Marri added that the Summit will also witness participation from heads of state, ministers of foreign affairs and media, prominent intellectuals, writers, media students, decision-makers, officials from major Arab and global media institutions, and leading journalists, content creators, and media professionals.

Over 6,000 media leaders from the region and the world are expected to attend. She emphasised that organising the Summit aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid regarding the role of media in serving societies.

It aims to create a dialogue platform which opens new avenues for developing this vital sector, which significantly impacts people’s lives.

Bridge Summit: Meanwhile, as a significant step in preparing for the “Bridge” Summit, the National Media Office (NMO) convened a high-profile roundtable during the 2025 INMA World Congress of News Media in New York. The event saw the attendance of Abdulla Bin Mohammed Bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of both the NMO and the UAE Media Council.

This pivotal roundtable discussion brought together influential leaders spanning journalism, technology, entertainment, public affairs, and culture.

Through a series of interactive sessions and workshops, participants delved into pressing media challenges and identified avenues for robust cross-sector collaboration.

The NMO Chairman outlined the Bridge Summit’s ambitious goal: to redefine the media landscape through enhanced international cooperation and integrated efforts.

This initiative, he stated, aims to strengthen media’s societal role and foster a more sustainable and humane world. He emphasised that building responsible and creative media hinges on robust, cross-border partnerships.

He highlighted the roundtable as a significant step in global preparations for the Bridge Summit.

The summit seeks to forge a shared media vision grounded in sectoral integration, cross-disciplinary synergy, and cultural interaction, all while anticipating media’s future amidst rapid digital transformation.

The roundtable commenced with an opening session led by Richard Attias, Executive Chairman of Richard Attias & Associates, a global strategic communications and events firm.

This was followed by an introductory speech from Maryam BinFahad, NMO Adviser, who detailed the Bridge initiative’s objectives and its role in building trust and addressing challenges within the media sector.

In a session titled “Entertainment and Cultural Power: When Attention Becomes Currency,” attended by the NMO Chairman and a select of media professionals and thought leaders, participants stressed the responsibility of cultural content creators regarding the quality of their messages and their impact on shaping societal awareness.

Addressing the sessions, Al Hamed argued that true influence transcends mere view counts or engagement rates. It is measured, instead, by the power of authentic, purposeful content that fosters more aware and cohesive communities, and reintroduces human values into a digital sphere often swamped by speed and superficiality.