Arab Media Forum 2008 to address latest trends in media

Attracting a gathering of key local, regional and international media, the 7th round of the Forum will be held on April 23-24 at Hotel Monarch, Dubai.

Revealing the comprehensive array of topics that will be taken up at the Forum for discussion, Mona Al Marri, Chairperson, Dubai Press Club, has emphasized that the different sessions and workshops will bring out the salient features of the changes that are sweeping the media today.

'We are glad to see the Arab Media Forum progress as the region's leading platform for constructive dialogue on issues impacting the media industry in this part of the world. The Forum's success in attracting key industry decision makers and experts under one roof further enhances Dubai's outstanding position as a leading media hub.

'The program content is not only a reflection of the current media scene in all its variety, but also an attempt at looking into the future to explore key challenges and opportunities lying ahead of us,' Al Marri pointed out.

While the different sessions during the two-day program seek to address all the vital issues that concern the media in the era of new technologies, the workshops will focus on preparing a select few of the journalists for the new challenges.

The first session will look at the transformations that are changing the media landscape in the Arab region as a result of technological advancements. The session to follow will take up the global scene, providing a fitting context to the first session's deliberations.

The subsequent sessions will focus attention on other related themes, ranging from the challenges and opportunities of the New Media, pushing the boundaries of technologies, consolidation in the broadcasting networks to the enormous levels of freedom that the cyberspace has occasioned across the globe, especially in the Arab World.

The specialized workshops, each designed with a view to provide theoretical and empirical insights into issues of immediate concern for the Arab media, will focus attention on media and technology in the Maghreb region, talent drain in the Levant media and the Gulf media's embrace of new technologies in the backdrop of impressive liquidity.

The Forum will also see the screening of documentary films that shed light on the current developments of the situation in Iraq and Palestine. These documentaries will be followed by expert commentary from some of the topmost political figures from both countries.

The announcement and distribution of annual Arab Journalism Awards will mark the closing of the two day Arab Media Forum.

Divided into 12 different categories in addition to special honors, the prestigious Awards will bring out the genius of Arab Journalism from different countries.

Since its launch in 2001, the Arab Media Forum has grown over the years to become the most important media event in the entire Middle East, attracting the attention of media circles all over the world. Media organizations from around the globe has covered the proceedings of the Forum every year, in recognition of its crucial significance as a platform for in-depth deliberations on the media industry.