Qassim Sultan calls on UAE media leaders to use Annual Meetings to help enhance international reputation of UAE

The call came as Qassim Sultan met the editors-in-chief to brief them on preparations for the Annual Meetings and to remind them of their vital role in showcasing the event to their readers and promoting the UAE to the widest international audience.

He stressed the media can do a magnificent job in showing the rapid and modern development of the nation and promoting the UAE. He passed on the support for the media role from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai 2003.

During the meeting Qassim Sultan also repeated the directives of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence about the care and attention the media should give to their role during this prestigious event.

He added that the UAE media faces a challenge during the Annual Meetings in showing the level of media development in the UAE and its growing sophistication as the UAE's media corps prepares to rub shoulders with journalists from all over the world.

Qassim Sultan explained that world class facilities in a purpose built media centre were now being finalised to meet the requirements of the 1,000-plus UAE, regional and international journalists who will cover the Annual Meetings.

Editors were told that preparations for the Meetings were now in their final stages with the 10 special purposes committees working round the clock to ensure the success of the biggest annual gathering of the international financial community.

The Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund were first held in Washington DC in 1946. They are hosted by an international city one year in three. The UAE and Dubai were selected because of their highly developed transportation and logistics infrastructure, growing importance as a financial hub and its established position as an oasis of opportunity.