Dubai Press Club today announced the ninth edition of the Arab Media Forum witnessed an overwhelming participation of more than 2,400 international and Arab journalists from 36 countries, registering a 30 per cent increase over the last edition.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, AMF 2010 was held from 12-13 May at The Atlantis-Palm.
Themed 'Shifting Mediascape: Inspiring Content...Expanding Reach', the event saw nearly 70 speakers including influential decision-makers from the visual, print, audio and online media segments exploring a roadmap for the industry's future. The forum also offered a platform for Arab and international journalists to network and examine emerging trends and challenges in the industry.
The opening day of the event honoured winners of the Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Youth Media Awards, while the Arab Journalism Awards brought the forum to a fitting conclusion, recognizing 13 media persons for journalistic excellence.
Abdulla Omran Taryam, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the UAE-based Dar Al Khaleej Press, Printing and Publishing, was awarded 'Media Personality of the Year for 2009' by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed for his contribution over two decades to the development of media in the region.
AMF 2010 particularly stressed on the importance of developing local/Arabic content to expand its reach and enhance performance.
Maryam Bin Fahad, Executive Director, Dubai Press Club, said: "The unprecedented success of the Arab Media Forum validates the growing importance of the event that is highly regarded by journalists across the world. The presence of top-notch journalists and thought leaders from acclaimed organizations served to add a unique dimension to the event. More importantly, their rich perspectives that the forum drew out will significantly contribute to taking the industry forward."
Panelists at the forum applauded the well-planned agenda and confirmed its importance as a must-attend event on the annual media calendar. Dubai Press Club also conducted a survey among the eminent media members attending the forum for gaining feedback to enhance the framework of AMF 2011.
Khalfan Al Roumi, Chairman of the Arab Journalism Award Board of Directors, said: "We are delighted that forum opened new avenues for journalists to articulate their opinions on the issues that dominate the media industry. In addition to serving as a crucial networking platform, the two-day event also saw some of the most deserving talent in the Arab world being recognized for outstanding work."
Ahmed Ashour, General Manager of Al Jazeera Talk website, praised the success of the Arab Media Forum and linked it to the other success stories Dubai has achieved.
The sessions and workshops of AMF 2010 will be uploaded on YouTube by end-May to allow a wider base of audience to access the recommendations offered by leading experts during the two-day forum.
The well-known journalist Jihad Khazen said: "The Arab Media Forum is much awaited for its thought-provoking sessions and animated debates. It allows us a fair exchange of ideas with colleagues and friends, apart from giving us an opportunity to experience the top notch facilities that Dubai is known to offer."
Anwar Al-Hawari, Editor-in-Chief, Al Ahram Al Iqtisadi, said: "The forum opened a key window of opportunity to analyse the media landscape through the eyes of renowned regional and global journalists. The success of the event underlined the resilience of Dubai and the UAE at large that is led by visionary leaders. The emirate offers a wonderful lesson for others to emulate."
Journalists representing the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Yeman, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, India, Pakistan, China, Singapore, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Czech, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Belgium, Japan and The Philippines participated in the forum.
Dubai Press Club, representing the Arab Media Forum administration, also reported a significant number of the participants comprised the youth, especially media students from the UAE universities.
In addition, Dubai Press Club engaged over 60 UAE national volunteers from media and communications colleges in the UAE universities as well as government and private sector institutions for extending ground support at Arab Media Forum 2010. The UAE national volunteers supported the core DPC team in welcoming the delegates from all over the world, in addition to handling the logistics requirements as well as manning the information and media centre at the forum.
For the first time, Dubai Press Club extended online registrations for participation at the forum – an initiative that received an overwhelming response from media personalities worldwide.
