Sky News Arabia brings AFKAR 2012 to Egypt

Cairo, Egypt - 10 April 2012: Sky News Arabia has hosted 'AFKAR 2012', the second in the series of its regional debates. The Cairo debate focused on the most important challenges facing Egypt during the transitional period since the January 25th revolution and discussed opportunities Egyptians have to shape their future. AFKAR 2012 brought together a diverse line-up of speakers including political scientist and Member of Parliament, Dr. Amr Hamzawy, blogger and researcher Amr Ezzat, human rights activist Ghada Shahbandar, media guru Shady Sherif, film maker, writer and blogger Amr Salama and entrepreneur, Hisham Akram.

The debate, which was held on April 8th 2012 at the Marriott Zamalek Hotel, was moderated by Sky News Arabia news presenter Amro Abdel Hamid and was attended by public figures, bloggers and members of the media. The debate was opened up to a wider audience where live tweeting was encouraged using #Afkar2012.

Commenting on AFKAR 2012, Dr. Yasser Thabet, Director of Output, Sky News Arabia, said "Since the January 25th revolution, Egypt has faced a number of challenges which impacted the lives of Egyptians on both political and social levels. This debate provided the opportunity to discuss the most important and crucial issues as well as providing possible solutions."

With the imminent launch of the Sky News Arabia on May 6th 2012, AFKAR 2012 regional debates, aim to provide the Arab World a platform to express their thoughts and views on topics that reflect their interests. The Channel's slogan "A New Horizon" reflects its swiftness, objectivity and accuracy in covering the news around the clock.

During the debate, Dr. Amr Hamzawy highlighted the most important features and challenges of the transitional period such as the political appointment of the Military Council, constitutional referendum and the formation of the constitutional committee. He also explained that the transitional period management was not up to the expected standards and authorities should take corrective actions.

Amr Ezzat explained the link between current challenges, religious concerns and shaping national identity. He also criticized the State's role in determining and shaping the Egyptian identity while excluding other ideas that contradict with the set structure. He believes that an open society which supports freedom of expression will enhance Egypt's path to a democratic system.

On the other hand, Ghada Shahbandar raised her concerns regarding the status of rights and freedom in Egypt. She also criticized the violation of human rights during the transition period and believes in achieving justice by providing fair trials.

With the emergence of non-traditional alternatives, Shady Sherif believes that credibility and corruption are the main challenges facing traditional media. In addition, the high running costs of media organizations could be directed to support young talents instead.

Furthermore, Amr Salama elaborated that financing difficulties, as well as ongoing instability, are the two main challenges facing the cinema production industry. He also explained the role of the censorship authority before and after the revolution and its impact on limiting attests' creativity.

Hisham Akram explained the negative effect of ongoing instability on the local economy as well as the challenges facing the business sector. He called on the government to adopt drastic reform measures in order to achieve real change.

For more information, please follow @skynewsarabia #AFKAR2012 on Twitter.

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About Sky News Arabia
Launching in spring 2012, Sky News Arabia will be a free-to-air 24-hour Arabic rolling news channel reporting the news as it happens in HD. Set up as a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation (ADMIC) and British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), Sky News Arabia is based in Abu Dhabi and will broadcast to over 50 million homes in the region. It aims to deliver fresh, fast and independent news from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The channel will deliver the news across multiple platforms including online and mobile devices to provide fast news on the go. Its website (www.skynewsarabia.com) has already launched in BETA phase.

Sky News Arabia will be an Arabic channel for Arab viewers, delivering politics, economics, business, sport, lifestyle, technology and cultural news with 22 presenters from across the Arab world.

The channel will have 10 bureaus across the region as well as in London and Washington, and will draw upon Sky News' network of bureaus around the world for international coverage.

For more information please contact:
Asmaa Haggag,
Asmaa.haggag@hkstrategies.com,
+2 011 4444 2065

Ahmad Issa,
Ahmad.Issa@hkstrategies.com,
+971 2 447 2805

© Press Release 2012