His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed to deliver keynote address at Arab Media Forum 2008

The seventh edition of the Forum, built around the theme "Bridging Arab Media through Technology", will draw the participation of nearly 500 local, regional and international media professionals. Over two days, panels comprising 50 intellectuals and industry experts will lead incisive discussions on the dynamic impact of new technologies on the media sector.

The forum's eclectic line up of speakers include Nigel Chapman, Director of BBC World Services; Nigel Parsons, Managing Director of Al Jazeera English; M J Akbar, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Age; and Alan Knight, Foundation Chair of Journalism and Media Studies at Central Queensland University, Australia.

Designed with a view to providing theoretical and empirical insights into issues of immediate concern, the specialized workshops will focus attention on media and technology in the Maghreb region, and the Gulf media's embrace of new technologies among other topics. The forum will also see the screening of documentary films that will shed light on the current socio-economic and political scenario in Iraq and Palestine.
Curtains will come down on the two-day forum with a gala ceremony to present the Arab Journalism Awards, celebrating and honouring the works of regional media professionals for their valuable contribution to the industry.