During the two-day event, more than 200 Arab and internationally acclaimed media representatives will gather to debate perceptions and schisms between the west and the Arab world.
This second summit provides the perfect platform to project views of the Arab world to leading personalities of the western media, and it also aims at providing better understanding of how the west views events in this region.
Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League, will deliver a keynote speech at the inaugural session and lead the debate. The event's main theme is Overcoming the Difficulties of Conveying the Arab Point of View to the West After the September 11 Attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York.
Mohammed Al Gergawi, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the summit, said: "The added attraction of the Arab Media Summit is that it has started a dialogue between the Arab media personalities and their counterparts in the western world.
This event assumes the greatest importance as it is being held at a time when the world is going through a major crisis, with the focus on the tense situation in Palestine.
"It is not only a human tragedy, but also a crisis of confidence wherein accusations of prejudice and personal bias have been levelled by both Arab and western media against each other."
Mona Al Marri, Executive Manager of the Dubai Press Club, said: "Informed and open western viewpoints will make an important contribution to expanding understanding and opening new channels of communication and cooperation between the Arab media and the west."
The Arab Media Summit speakers will include Ben Bradlee, president and former executive editor of the Washington Post; John Sununu, former White House Chief of Staff; Jihad Bassam Khazen, Al Hayat editor; Abdul Bari Atwan, Al Quds Al Arabi editor; Fahmi Huwaidi, Al Ahram (Cairo) editor and Eric Rouleau, Le Monde correspondent.
Also confirmed are Gebran Tueini, An Nahar editor; Al Hayat newspaper's Dawood Al Sharyan; Tunisia-based Association Arabe de Sociologe's Al Tahar Labib; Kuwaiti writer Mohammed Al Mesfer; writer Ahmed Al Arabe; and head of the Arab Centre for Development and Futuristic Research in Egypt, Jamil Matar.
Editors-in-chief of major Arabic and international print and television groups, leading Arabic journalists and columnists, academicians, independent analysts and commentators and senior government officials are expected to attend.
Other western speakers include author and academic Norman Finkelstein; author and media critic Jack Shaheen; head of the Arab American Institute, Dr James J. Zogby; Al Hayat and Christian Scientist columnist, Helena Cobban; British writer Patrick Seale; and Harvey Morris of the Financial Times.
On the first day a panel, which includes Bradlee and Rouleau, will open discussion on How the Western Media Views the Arab World and How it Has Changed Since September 11.
This will be followed by Zogby, Cobban and Shaheen discussing Changes in Perception of the West Towards Arabs, and Huwaidi, Labib and Al Mesfer looking at the other side, Changes in Perception by Arabs Towards the West.
On the second day, the sessions will begin to address the challenges identified on the first day.
The first session will start with Bari Atwan, Finkelstein and Al Arabe presenting their views on Breaking the Western Barriers, while in the second session, Khazen, Tueini and Al Sharyan will debate on What is the Role of Arab Media?
The event will be rounded up with speakers including Sununu, Morris and Matar examining Ways to Dialogue and Positive Interaction Between Arabs and the West.
The close of the Arab Media Summit will signify the countdown for the prestigious Arab Journalism Award, also presented by the Dubai Press Club.
Mona told Gulf News: "Sheikh Mohammed is expected to attend the Arab Journalism Award's presentation ceremony on April 30, to witness those honoured for excellence in nine categories of Arab media: best column, politics, business, IT, environment, culture, sports, best photograph and best cartoon."
