The Forum will see the participation of media leaders and experts from around the world

Dubai, UAE- 25 March, 2008: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai Press Club will hold the Arab Media Forum 2008 during April 23-24 on the theme of "Bridging Arab Media Through Technology" at Hotel Monarch, Dubai.

The Forum this year will discuss the whole gamut of issues that accompany the introduction of new technologies in the media sphere. The Forum, the largest media event in the region, will see the participation of a cream of practitioners and decision makers from the media industry and renowned academics and thinkers from the Arab world  and beyond.

The discussion at the Forum will shed ample light not only on the impact of new technologies on the Arab Media, but also on the new forms of media occasioned by the technological revolution, such as User Generated Content (UGC) and on-line newspapers. It also  promises to chart a new course for the activities of the Dubai Press Club, which is making consistent efforts to keep pace with developments in the industry.

Announcing the dates for this year's Arab Media Forum, Mona Al Marri, Chairperson, the Dubai Press Club, has said that in light of the crucial role that technology plays in all aspects of life, particularly in the media, it is vitally important to look at the various dimensions of the technology - media interface.

"The advent of a number of internet-based forms of media such as blogs, on-line newspapers and discussion forums and the recent advancements that transformed the visual media and radio have made us feel there is a dire need to analyze how the Arab media is responding to these mind-boggling developments. We hope the Forum will result in the crystallization of a new and comprehensive vision for the Arab Media in the face of technological developments," she explained.

Describing Dubai as the ideal place for a discussion on these issues on account of its pioneering role as a regional media hub with more than half of the Arab satellite channels being headquartered here, Al Marri has  pointed out that the Arab Media Forum has come of age and gained a distinctive identity of its own.

"It is time for the Forum to delve deeper into the Arab Media Industry in all its diversity and complexity, addressing the main challenges and finding ways of surmounting them in order to facilitate the emergence of an Arab Media Industry on par with or even better than the best anywhere in the world," she added.

Al Marri asserted that the Arab Media Forum will become more focused and specialized in the days to come as the choicest platform for creative initiatives to enhance the quality of Arab Media. "It will also remain the most sought after forum for the exchange of all shades of opinions and positions on issues pertaining to the media, thereby serving the cause of a healthy media culture in the region and beyond," she said.

The attendees for the Forum will comprise a host of important media personalities from the region and outside, who will contribute during the discussions to the emergence of fresh ideas on the interface between the media and technology.

The discussions will also touch up on the various challenges and opportunities that the era of new technologies present before the media in various Arab countries. In addition to the numerous sessions devoted to diverse aspects of the central theme, the Forum will also include the Arab Journalism Awards distribution ceremony, which will honor excellence in various categories of journalism.

Since its first round in 2001, the Arab Media Forum has grown over the years to become the most important media event in the entire Middle East, attracting the attention of media circles all over the world. Media organizations from around the world has covered the proceedings of the Forum every year, in recognition of its crucial significance as a platform for in-depth deliberations on the media industry.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:
Noora Al-Mansoori 
 A'Sidrah Public Affairs
Tel: 04 3642196
Dir: 04 3642319 
Fax: 04-3688004
Email: noora.yousef@asidrah.ae

© Press Release 2008