It is now 20 years since His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, laid down his Dubai Media Strategy.
That vision was responsible for pioneering Arab and international projects such as Dubai Media City, the establishment of the Dubai Press Club, the Arab Media Forum, the Arab Journalism Award and the Arab Social Leaders Summit. Dubai Studio City, for example, is home to about 300 of the world’s largest television and film production sites, while Dubai Production City hosts countless media production companies.
When put together, these pioneering projects have firmly established the emirate as the prime media hub across the Middle East and North Africa. And now, the Arab Information Ministers Council has named Dubai as the Capital of Arab Media for 2020.
This prestigious accolade is a recognition for the vision, planning and execution of the strategy that has made Dubai host to some 4,000 media companies from all sectors of the industry. It reflects the leading role of the UAE and Dubai as a global media hub. And the timing of the award is certainly not coincidental with the fact that come 2020, more that 30 million visitors are expected to walk through the entrance gates of the Dubai Expo – a global gathering themed on ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
Over the years Shaikh Mohammad has encouraged all to embrace the partnership and leadership role the media plays in assisting the development and continued growth of Dubai
Dubai has always been at the forefront of media development and the emirate was early in recognising the potential offered by emerging technologies, the power of the internet and the communication avenues afforded by social media platforms and the companies who develop and build these platforms.
Only last March Dubai hosted the 18th edition of the Arab Media Forum with 75 speakers and 200 prominent media figures exploring how to take that next quantum leap by embracing all of the potentiality offered across all media streams.
Over the years Shaikh Mohammad has encouraged all to embrace the partnership and leadership role the media plays in assisting the development and continued growth of Dubai and the UAE itself. Creation and development of the Dubai Media Office, for example, has ensured that transparency is the watchword when it comes to news developments of announcements that affect all, with WAM, the UAE’s news agency, adding a textured layer to ensure accuracy at all times.