Sharjah is Capital of Arab Press
sharjah — The United Arab Media Council, a pan-Arab body, has chosen Sharjah as the Capital of Arab Press for the year 2016. The decision was based on a number of benchmarks, including a vibrant media environment in the emirate, the establishment of the Sharjah Media City (SMC) Free Zone and the promotion of cultural and intellectual content of media material, and above all, the strategic support of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for many of the media initiatives and creative projects in the emirate.
The previous capitals were Manama (2012), Riyadh (2013) and Jerusalem (2014-15).
Welcoming the announcement, Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Corporation and Sharjah Media Centre, said: “This is the fourth international title for Sharjah in 40 years, after Unesco’s Cultural Capital of the Arab World Award in 1998, OIC’s Capital of Islamic Culture Award for 2014 and the Capital of Arab Tourism for 2015 Award.”
The freedom the media enjoys in Sharjah and the legal safeguards and investment opportunities offered to private sector are part of the criteria that earned the emirate the honour.
Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Corporation and Sharjah Media Centre
He also announced the launch of celebrations next month marking the emirate’s proud inheritance. Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed emphasised that the freedom the media enjoys in Sharjah and the legal safeguards and investment opportunities offered to private sector stakeholders in print and electronic media in the emirate are part of the criteria that earned the emirate the coveted honour.
Haitham Youssef, secretarygeneral of the UAMC, said the remarkable growth Sharjah has registered in the media sector, especially what has been achieved by the Sharjah Media Corporation and Sharjah Media Centre under the guidance of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, had helped the emirate earn the honour.
He said he would be honoured to pass on the baton of Sharjah the Capital of Arab Press 2016 from Jerusalem, to Dr Shaikh Sultan on March 20 on the sidelines of the International Government Communication Forum in the emirate, organised annually by the Sharjah Media Centre. Youssef also revealed the motto of Sharjah the Capital of the Arab Press for 2016, which is “My culture is the essence of my profession – Media is the foundation of Society.”