Oman to host international journalists meet
Muscat - Oman will host a meeting of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) from May 31 to June 3. This was announced at a press conference held at Oman Film and Theatre Society on Wednesday.
With this, the sultanate will be the first among GCC countries and second in the Arab world, after Tunisia, to host a meeting of the federation.
Close to 250 journalists and media personnel from 120 countries will attend the 31st meeting of IFJ presided over by Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs, and Personal Representative of His Majesty the Sultan.
Elaborating on the event, Yousef bin Abdul Karim al Hoti, member of the Board of Directors of Oman Journalists Association (OJA) and head of the Freedom Committee and International Cooperation, said, “IFJ’s decision to hold the General Conference in Oman is evidence of international satisfaction with the Omani press. Before accepting an offer to host such events, IFJ prioritises a set of criteria that must be met by the host country. Freedom of expression is among these. The event is a platform to meet and exchange experiences with international media personnel.”
An element at the meet will be the addition of an award for best photojournalism.
The IFJ meet will be an exclusive global event in Oman held every three years.
Saif bin Saud al Mahrouqi, former editor-in-chief of a newspaper in Muscat, said, “Hosting an event of this stature shows the success of journalism and OJA in Oman.”