Third edition of Arab Media Outlook to cover 15 Arab countries

While Palestine, Sudan and Syria are new additions to the list of countries being targeted for extensive research, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the UAE and the Yemen make up the rest, signaling a substantial leap in the scope and reach of the report that began with just six countries.

The in-depth market research, done for the first time since the launch of the report three years ago, will cover Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, all significant media markets in the Arab world.

For the preparation of the third edition of the report, Dubai Press Club has signed up with Value Partners, a leading global management consultancy firm with strong multi-sector experience in telecom, media, finance and energy. The new edition of the report will cover a wide gamut of issues, ranging from the growth trends in the media, new patterns of content consolidation and dissemination, the increasing role of the new media and new collaborative telecom-media models to the impact of economic downturn on the media regionally and globally, role of government institutions in the Arab media ecosystem and overall media consumption habits in visual, print and online media.

However, the main thematic focus this time will be the creation and dissemination of media content in the backdrop of the fast-paced developments in technology and media consumption habits. The focal themes in the previous two editions were development of people and organizations and the revolutionizing role of technology respectively.

Maryam Bin Fahad, Executive Director, Dubai Press Club, said that the third edition would build on the knowledge base already established in the previous two editions of the report, while widening the scope of the study in terms of both geographical reach and diversity of subjects.

"We are aiming to produce an in-depth analysis of the media industry that not only maps the current scenario in its entirety at the macro and micro levels, but also makes informed forecasts about plausible developments in the near future. It is indeed a pleasure for us to have signed up with Value Partners, an internationally reputed organization with an excellent track record and proven expertise in media consultancy," she added.

"The Outlook will be a reference for policy makers, media personnel, regulators, financial investors, technology vendors and academics associated with the media sector. The report will also testify to the resilience of the Arab media in withstanding the impact of the financial meltdown as well as in innovatively adapting to the requirements of fast-paced technological changes," she pointed out, requesting all the media organizations in the region to assist the DPC team with data and inputs when approached.

Commenting on this partnership, Santino Saguto, Managing Director, Value Partners Dubai, said:

"We commend Dubai Press Club on playing a significant role in the growth of the Middle East media industry. The Arab Media Outlook will serve as a resourceful guide for journalists and media professionals to understand and benefit from the existing media landscape in the region. This agreement with Dubai Press Club allows us to execute our global expertise in media and communications in the regional market. We hope this publication will help regional media professionals optimize on new business opportunities and address challenging issues facing their industry."

The interviewees for the Media Outlook, will consist of a wide variety of media leaders and practitioners, including heads and CEOs of various Arab media organizations, daily newspapers, TV stations, newswire services, media universities, and associations of journalists in 15 Arab countries as well as representatives of various telecom companies and media buying agencies.

The report will serve as a reliable and authentic document for policy makers, media experts and communications specialists in the Arab world and across the world. The previous two editions of the report, on 'Developing Organizations and People' and 'Collaborating for Growth' respectively, were released in the past two years to wide critical acclaim from the media industry. Alongside the Arab Media Forum and Arab Journalism Award, the Arab Media Outlook is part of Dubai Press Club's pioneering initiatives aimed at the overall development of the media sector in the Arab world.