A turning point in Arab media sector

Another successful edition of the Arab Media Forum concluded in Dubai on Wednesday, honouring the best in Arab journalism. The two-day event — in its 12th edition — focused on the Arab media ‘in a transitional period’, a reference to the ongoing changes in some Arab Spring countries, namely Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Syria.

The forum is a turning point in the Arab media sector. It has introduced the first and only Arab journalism awards, which encourage excellence, independence and investigative reporting in the regional press. Year after year, the quality of work submitted to the awards has seen significant improvement and the number of participants and delegates continues to climb.

It was another interesting meet this year, which saw controversial Egyptian TV host Bassem Yousuf telling Arab officials that they must tolerate political satire. Journalists also talked about their expectations of the biggest story they are currently covering: Syria.

But the forum also highlighted how divided Arab public opinion is when it comes to sensitive issues such as ‘TV fatwas’, described by the keynote speaker, Al Azhar Chief Shaikh Ahmad Al Tayeb, as “an unwelcome trend”.

The forum is one of the main reasons the UAE, and Dubai in particular, has become a haven for media houses and professionals. Regional offices of global giants such as CNN and BBC are based in the UAE. Well-known Arab journalists and writers are increasingly taking residence in the country and entertainment and music shows are being filmed here too.

That, of course, makes us all proud. And it is exciting to be part of this great transformation. But it also sets a high level of expectations and responsibilities.

We expect this trend to help broaden the level of press freedom in the UAE and give our media institutions the tools and space they need to develop a truly Emirati media industry that is compatible with the amazing development in all other sectors.

It also means that the media here must shoulder the responsibility of living up to the expectations of citizens.