Gulf News wins Oman media award
Gulf News Bureau Chief Sunil K. Vaidya won the award for the category of Best Foreign Correspondent in English
Muscat: Gulf News was one of the winners at the Oman Media Awards given annually by the Creative Press and Publishing.
For the first time this year, a new Best Foreign Correspondent category was added in which both Arabic and English correspondent working for foreign publications in Muscat were considered for the award. Gulf News Bureau Chief Sunil K. Vaidya won this award.
Sayyid Kamil Bin Fahad Al Said, Assistant Secretary-General at the Office of Deputy Prime Minister for Cabinet Affairs, presided over the award function at the Muscat Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday night.
Oman Daily Observer was adjudged the Best English Newspaper for the year 2009 in Oman while the Best Arabic newspaper in the country was Al Shabiba.
Al Shabiba's senior reporter Essa Ahmed Al Massoudi and David Solomon of Oman Tribune were given the awards for best reporters in Arabic and English language dailies respectively. ADINC was adjudged the best PR Agency in Oman.
"Media is the greatest tool of communication, not only does it enlighten us, but has animportant role of uniting and integrating people around the globe," Sayyid Kamil said in his speech.
"It (media) has a strong social and cultural impact and provides a doorway for the outside world to find out more about our beautiful country Oman," he added.
He also pointed out that His Majesty the Sultan had instructed to provide special training to local (Omani) journalists in order to improve their skills. "This encouragement will not only develop our media further but encourage a dynamic future generation of journalists," he felt.
"Te award is aimed at giving recognition to young talent as the media world is growing and gaining importance in Omani society day by day," said Saleh Al Shaibany, Managing Director ofCreative Press and Publishing.
"The sector is flooded with opportunities and it is up to the Omani youth to grab them asearly as possible," he stressed.
The judges for the awards were corporate communication heads of 12 corporate houses, who reviewed the performance of media houses and individuals from close quarters and selected them for the awards.
