Organizer says event will ‘shine a light’ on the industry

A keynote address by Bahrain’s foreign minister will be among the highlights of the Arab Media Forum (AMF), which opens today in Dubai.

The organizer of the AMF said that the event will “shine a light” on the media industry and its role in promoting positive change in the region.

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa will speak during the main session on the opening day of the event, which runs until Wednesday.

Mona Ghanem Al-Marri, president of Dubai Press Club (DPC) and chairperson of the AMF Organizing Committee, said that media could play a positive role in the Arab world.

“This year’s Arab Media Forum seeks to shine a light on how the region’s media can respond to the vast changes taking place both in the Arab world and across the globe,” she told Arab News.

“The forum will also take a close look at how media organizations can take advantage of new advanced technologies to support positive change and growth in our region. We have brought together leading media personalities from the Arab world and internationally to discuss how we can together forge a new vision for the media’s growth.”

More than 2,500 guests and 50 speakers from 20 countries from across the Arab region and the world are expected at the forum.

Alongside the event, the veteran Saudi journalist Khaled Almaeena will on Tuesday be honored at the second International Media Gala (IMG), organized by Arab News and held in Dubai.

The former editor of this newspaper is set to be presented with a lifetime achievement award by Faisal J. Abbas, the current editor in chief.

Almaeena served as editor in chief of Arab News twice — between 1982 and 1993, and again between 1998 and 2011 — and in November 2016 was given the honorary title of “editor emeritus.”

Under Almaeena’s watch, the paper developed strong ties with its readers, sometimes fighting causes on their behalf — including cases where people were wrongly sent to jail.

Almaeena is now managing partner of a communications company and has several other interests including social work and mentoring. Although he still writes, he does not miss the daily grind of journalism.

“I don’t miss the headlines and deadlines,” he said.

That said, Almaeena sees a solid future for the paper.

“Arab News has always been a bridge between the expatriates, the Saudis and the government.”