Arab Media Forum presents top awards

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, honoured winners of the 12th Arab Journalism Award (AJA) at the closing ceremony of the two-day 12th Arab Media Forum (AMF) on Wednesday.

Shaikh Mohammad presented a special award to the Chairman of the AJA Board of Directors, Khalfan Al Roumi, received by his daughter, Ohood Al Roumi, on his behalf, in appreciation for his contributions as one of the founders of journalism in the UAE and for his role in developing the AJA project since 1999, earning the award its current prestigious position and impartial reputation as a platform for fair competition in the Arab world.

A national figure, Al Roumi participated at the preliminary committee to establish the UAE. He was one of the members of the delegation visiting a number of Arab countries to explain the rationale behind establishing the UAE federation. He assumed a number of ministerial positions that included posts as undersecretary of the ministry of education, minister of health, minister of labour and social affairs, as well as minister of information and culture. He also represented the country at many Gulf, Arab and Islamic forums and conferences.

The AJA patron, Shaikh Mohammad, also presented the Media Personality of the Year Award to the Egyptian TV and radio presenter Hamdi Kandeel in appreciation of his efforts in serving the Arab media throughout his career as a writer, lecturer, diplomat and political activist, defending issues of concern to Arabs in the Middle East from such influential positions as the director of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (Asbu) Middle East Manager and director of Free Flow of Information and Communication Policies at Unesco, Paris.

Shaikh Mohammad presented the Best Newspaper Column award to the Lebanese columnist Hazem Saghieh who is renowned for his articles in As Safir from 1974 to 1988, and Al Hayat daily. During his early career, Saghieh served as editor at the quarterly publication Abwab, then, moved to work as editor for the Beirut-based quarterly cultural publication Kalamon that covers political, cultural and social issues in Lebanon and in the region, in addition to publishing a number of books that tackled topics on political and cultural lives in the Arab world.

The awards were presented before more than 3,000 forum delegates.

AJA Board member Mohammad Yousuf presented the Investigative Reporting award to Abdul Wahab Aleiwa of Egyptian newspaper Al Wafd, for his feature tackling the issue of smuggling arms to Egypt.

AJA Board member Raed Barqawi presented the Economic Journalism award to Khalid Al Biheiri of Oman’s Al Roya newspaper for his article on the involvement of a third party in determining the features of trade exchange between Arab countries and Israel.

AJA Board member Dhaen Shaheen presented the Political Journalism award to Othman Lehyani, of the Algerian newspaper Al Khabar, for his article on Salafists in Tunisia.

Nidal Hamdan, of the UAE’s Al Bayan newspaper, received the Press Interviews Journalism award from Board Member George Samaan for his feature about Iran’s provocation that contrasts with its policy of friendship and good neighbourliness with Gulf states.

Vice-Chairman of the International Humanitarian City (IHC) Board of Directors, Ebrahim Bu Melha, presented the newly introduced Humanitarian Journalism award to Hanan Khunduqji, of the Jordanian newspaper Al Ghad, for her distinguished work on physical and verbal abuse at special needs centres.

AJA Board Member Nasser Al Daheri handed out the award for Specialised Journalism to Rasha Abu Zaki from the Lebanese Al Akhbar newspaper for her special report on Lebanon.

Board Member of AJA Ahmad Behbehani gave the Sport Journalism award to Ameen Al Dobali from Al Ittihad newspaper for tackling the issue of steroids in sports; after which photographer Ala’a Badarneh of EU Agency News received Best Picture award from AJA Board Member Dr Ahmad Abdul Malek.

Dr Hessa Lootah, AJA Board Member, presented the Outstanding Cartoon Works award to Syrian cartoonist Raed Khalil, while Vice-Chairman of AJA Mohammad Barakat presented the Young Journalist awards to three winners: Huda Baroud of Palestinian newspaper Palestine, Haitham Mahjoub of Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Youm and Esmahan Al Gamedi of Saudi newspaper Al Riyadh.

The General Secretariat of the Arab Journalism Award (AJA) this year received more than 4,000 submissions from around the region and beyond.

The Arab Journalism Award was established in 1999, implementing an initiative by Shaikh Mohammad aimed at providing a platform for fair and transparent competition in accordance with a clear procedure.