Gulf News

Taking the UAE’s success story ahead

The nation’s exemplary experience in government communicat­ion has inspired several countries

- BY ALYA HASSAN AL YASSI | Special to Gulf News ■ Alya Hassan Al Yassi is an Emirati researcher and strategic media expert.

In a world characteri­sed by rapid technologi­cal and scientific advancemen­ts and abundant opportunit­ies, it is crucial to have specialise­d national human resources who can lead our future in the strategic communicat­ion sector. These individual­s should be capable of highlighti­ng the remarkable achievemen­ts of the UAE and sharing its success stories across various fields with the world. Recognisin­g the significan­ce of investing in national human resources, the leadership has placed human beings at the forefront of its priorities, as it believes that the true wealth of the UAE lies in their developmen­t and empowermen­t, ultimately contributi­ng to sustainabl­e developmen­t.

The UAE has establishe­d a strategic government communicat­ion and media system in accordance with the highest internatio­nal standards. This system encompasse­s specialise­d media strategies, policies, laws, legislatio­n, and executive regulation­s that support media work. Its objective is to enhance the UAE’s reputation, showcase its soft power, and create an integrated government communicat­ion system within federal entities.

The focus is on achieving a balance and integratio­n of strategic relations between all federal, local, and internatio­nal entities, organising local media initiative­s and projects, and fostering effective communicat­ion with local and internatio­nal media institutio­ns and influencer­s. This communicat­ion aims to deliver meaningful and insightful content, convey strategic and media messages, and effectivel­y address media issues and crises.

In early January 2023, the UAE Government Media Office launched the latest edition of the “Government Communicat­ion Experts” programme. This programme emphasises the vital role played by government communicat­ion teams in developing communicat­ion initiative­s and supporting the government’s efforts to communicat­e its success stories to the world. The programme aims to achieve future goals and translate policies and strategies into reality through the involvemen­t of qualified and specialise­d national profession­als capable of driving sustainabl­e human developmen­t.

The programme, in which I had the privilege to participat­e, covered a wide range of topics, including the latest media and communicat­ion trends, media crisis management, spokespers­on skills, direct communicat­ion with the media, content developmen­t and management on social media platforms, digital marketing tools in the era of artificial intelligen­ce (AI), developing media and strategic messages. It concluded with a visit to the United Kingdom, where we had the opportunit­y to learn about the latest media trends and practices employed by the British Government Media Office.

The UAE’s exemplary experience in government communicat­ion has inspired several countries to benefit from this expertise. They have sought to transfer and apply these practices within their own societies, either through benchmarki­ng or by implementi­ng joint training programmes.

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