BBC to broadcast 'Dateline' programme from Dubai during Arab Media Summit 2003

The respected global television and radio network hopes to replicate the success of a similar broadcast that it did last year from Dubai.

"Interestingly, the only places we have broadcast Dateline from in the past except London, are Dubai and Washington," said Gavin Esler, host of the programme.

"Last year's broadcast from Dubai was a great success, and we hope to repeat that again this year," Esler added.

He said BBC World decided to record the programme during the Arab Media Summit 2003 "because the issues raised in the Summit are of great importance to our viewers on BBC World".

The Arab Media Summit 2003 is being held under the overall theme of 'War & the Media' - a subject that assumes great significance following the Iraq War and the continuing tension in Palestine.

"I am pleased to say that we have many millions of viewers in the Arab world and also among the people interested in the profoundly important issues which affect Arab people - everything from Israel and Iraq to questions of political change, democratisation, relations with the United States and so on," Esler pointed out.

As he does from London, Esler will chair the programme in Dubai. It will include four guests.

"Gavin Esler is a well-known and highly respected journalist. We are pleased that he will host his popular Dateline programme from Dubai during the Arab Media Summit 2003," said Mohammed Al Mansoori, Deputy Manager of Dubai Press Club, host of the Summit.

He pointed out that Esler will also moderate a panel discussion on media as an 'ultimate weapon of mass destruction' during the first day of the Summit.

Esler presents BBC's Newsnight and Panorama, hosts other programmes and is a columnist for the Scotsman newspaper.

Some 500 Editors-in-Chief of major Arabic and international print and broadcast media, leading journalists, columnists, academics, analysts, commentators and senior government officials, will debate, discuss and analyse the media's role in war situations at the Arab Media Summit 2003.