UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum witnessed the official opening of the 18th Arab Media Forum at the Dubai World Trade Center, with the participation of some 3,000 Arab media leaders, intellectuals, writers, intellectuals and editors. UAE and Arab newspapers, executive leaders of international media organizations, academics and media students in the UAE and the region.

The meeting was attended by the head of the National Media Organization in Egypt, Hussein Zein, and his media management. The meeting was attended by Bahrain's Minister of Information Affairs Ali bin Mohammed Al Rumaihi, who confirmed that government officials were concerned about the decline of the Arab media. Media Development Corporation, Nufar Ramool, the development aspects that must be worked on to promote Arab content through the various media, and the need to develop media institutions, especially governmental ones, and modernize its strategy to formulate a new vision in line with developments in the region and the world. To enhance the credibility of government media and to strengthen the overall media system, both governmental and private.

Al Rumaihi praised HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum for being a leading figure in the positive impact of the region and his role in direct interaction with the media.

He pointed out that the decline in media performance in the region is due mainly to the fear of government officials to interact with the media, and lack of clear strategies to deal efficiently and well-thought with the means of social communication, which greatly affects their ability to deliver their messages to the largest possible segment of society.

He pointed out that the volume of global spending on media in 2015 exceeded the volume of military spending for the world during this year. .

He pointed out that the size of television channels in the Arab world should not be a source of panic, pointing out that it is almost equivalent to the number of channels operating in the United States, which has about 2600 channels, pointing out that the government media in the region is distinguished from social media by adhering to Arab customs and traditions Authentic, and enjoy a great deal of responsibility that is sorely lacking in those platforms.

He pointed out that the diagnosis of the challenges faced by the media is still "general," while the need for "individual" diagnosis remains individual, stressing the need to develop the media sector in the Arab world with the help of Arab institutions, because relying on Western companies to analyze the media landscape, Recommendations for development are not feasible, since challenges must be diagnosed from within, according to what each country sees, and the appropriate procedures.

Al-Rumaihi stressed that reform should be based on two tracks: First, enhancing awareness in dealing with the media, starting with the school stage, in cooperation with educational and educational institutions. The second track is to work on regulating the media sector through legislation designed for social and traditional media, What the media itself has become calling for.

For his part, Hussein Zain said that the government media and his counterpart work within one system, but the only difference may be in the content provided by each of them to the recipient, who face many of the pressures that he finds in the information received through social media, and undermine his confidence in the media Where the recipient finds himself surrounded by those who doubt him in what is issued by the government media statements and news, despite their transparency, honesty and responsibility towards the citizen, compared to the news that are circulated through the platforms of social communication.

He stressed the need to work within two tracks to raise the awareness of the public opinion about the news that is being circulated in the media, the first of which is the family. He praised the UAE's experience in caring for the family, community care and the formation of new generations, which greatly enhances the community awareness. The second track is the legislative path, which combines with the role of the family in controlling the course of the media work to protect it and guarantee the citizen's right to obtain information from reliable sources.

On the spread of false and false news, Zain stressed that there is a heated race between the television channels on the news, but credibility in the end is the source of government media, and despite the confusion that may accompany the government news, the citizen depends on the official source, He pointed out that neutrality and objectivity have become a relative issue and have become subject to the directives of the press institutions.

"The Arab world needs a unified system through which to unite the Arab media discourse and to speak with one voice on the various issues of concern to the region and its future," Zain said.

1230 channels

The Arab Satellite Broadcasting Corporation's annual report on 2015 revealed the existence of at least 1,230 television channels, including 133 government channels, in the space and sky of the Arab world.

Media Influence

Bahrain's Minister of Information Affairs, Ali bin Mohammed Al Rumaihi, said that the large percentage of Arab officials are aware of the importance of the media, but they are not looking for means of media influence, stressing that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is one of the influential makers in the Arab region. Direct with the media, pointing to the importance of strengthening this culture, which was started by His Highness.

Establishing the foundations of dialogue

The Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Arab Media Forum, Mona Ghanim Al Marri, gave a speech welcoming the guests of the forum, which was launched under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. To establish the foundations of dialogue aimed at enhancing the role of the media for a better future for the region, entitled progress and prosperity.

"We are meeting today and the global media industry has undergone many changes. We have been following for the first time the announcement of the first reader of the robot as the world prepares to receive the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which the UAE has begun to take the necessary steps to achieve its leadership in projects, initiatives and programs. Ambitious future ».

"Setting objective perceptions for the future of the media requires a careful review of its reality, considering the compatibility of what the media presents with what people are looking for, and understanding the extent to which the rapid technological progress that our media institutions face," she said.

She added: "Our goal is to keep up with the requirements of this stage and to affirm the positive contribution of the media at all levels, through a professional dialogue based on transparency.