UAE’s media played key role in exceptional circumstances, says Sultan Bin Ahmed

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, chaired the council meeting held at Al Majaz Amphitheatre.

The meeting discussed a number of topics related to monitoring the performance of media entities and future plans, in a way that enhances the media ecosystem in the emirate and achieves its approved strategy.

He praised the prominent role played by media institutions during the exceptional circumstances facing the region, commending their transparency in reporting events, adherence to approved plans, and high readiness to keep pace with developments and deliver a complete picture to audiences. This reflects a high level of professionalism and credibility in news reporting, as well as their pivotal role in enhancing community awareness and strengthening trust in accurate information.

The Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council expressed his thanks and appreciation to the entities for the achievements made over the past year at the emirate's media level.

He praised their strategic performance, which resulted in numerous accomplishments that strengthened the position of media and reinforced its active presence.

This reflects the integration and coordination of efforts among various entities and confirms continued progress toward achieving further excellence and leadership in media work.

The council reviewed the results of the joint performance indicators of media entities for 2025, where the average performance reached 95%.

This indicates the efficiency of media work and the integration of roles among various entities, reflecting a high level of commitment to achieving strategic objectives and enhancing the quality of institutional performance.

The council reviewed the first-quarter report of the Sharjah Media Council, which covered media services and activities such as filming permits and commercially oriented media permits, as well as agreements and partnerships concluded with strategic partners.

It also addressed projects related to developing media services and their completion rates.

The meeting discussed the performance report of the channels and platforms of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority during the first quarter of 2026.

The report recorded notable growth in viewership across the Authority's channels at both local and Arab levels.

In addition, the "Maraya" platform achieved more than 10 million app visits during the same period, confirming the quality of media content and its ability to reach a wide and engaged audience.

The council was briefed on the latest developments in the media platform of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, an integrated digital platform supported by artificial intelligence.

The platform aims to enhance the government media system and improve its efficiency from content creation to impact measurement.

It provides a unified environment that brings together various government communication functions within a single integrated system, including press release preparation, analysis and reporting, and media monitoring covering social media and traditional media.

It also features a smart archive, fast search, and instant access to information, reducing content preparation time by up to 40%, lowering distribution effort by 50%, and accelerating access to media materials and assets by 70%.

The council was also briefed on the latest developments in Sharjah Media City (Shams), including the completion of the design phase of Shams Studios, which comprises five production studios, 17 creative units, and buildings dedicated to supporting production and post-production.

The briefing also included details of Shams Creative Oasis, the number of business licenses registered in the city, the performance of Shams Business Center, and the results of the second edition of the Shams Award for Arabic Content, which attracted 1,210 participants from several Arab countries.

WAM