HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to participate as one of the main speakers in the 'Arab & World Media Forum'

HRH the Prince will address the conference, organized by the Arab Thought Foundation and Dubai Press Club, alongside leading international personalities from media, political and economic fields.

The General Coordinator for the conference Hamad Al Ammari said: "HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's participation is an important addition to the guest speakers' list, considering HRH is considered one of the most significant economic figures in the Arab world. His vast experiences in the media field will contribute in exploring the role and effects of mass communication, as well as ways of developing it."

He added: "HRH the Prince had confirmed his participation at an early stage in the conference due to his belief in the importance of the issues set for discussion in the conference agenda and his faith in the role that the Arab media plays in rectifying the Arab image in the global public opinion. Another of HRH's objectives in participating is to contribute to the conference's goal of enhancing and encouraging the process of investment and development, and dealing with the obstacles that this process might face."

Al Ammari confirmed that the main speakers' contributions, such as HRH Prince Alwaleed, will help enrich the discussion which will deal with vital issues concerning the world media, including the connection between Arab and international media, and the role of media in shaping public opinion; especially as Prince Alwaleed owns significant investments in the media field and is continuously involved with the ongoing developments that the various mass communication channels witness.

Prince Al Waleed bin Talal is considered one of the world's most prominent and wealthiest figures, as he owns huge investments in a range of sectors and fields, including shares in the Arab and Western worlds' largest media corporations. The most significant of these is Rotana Sound & Visual Systems Corporation which owns and produces 60% of all Arabic movies and 75% of Arabic music, and has a market share of 80%; HRH also owns 49% of the Lebanese TV satellite broadcasting channel LBC, as well as various percentages of Al-Diyar and Al-Nahar newspapers. In the Western world, Prince Al Waleed holds 49% shares of News Corp, the corporation that owns Fox TV, B Sky B TV, Star TV, 20th Century Fox studios, Harper Collins Company, as well as the newspapers New York Post, The Times, and The Sunday Times. HRH also holds shares in Times Warner Corporation, which owns numerous publications such as Time, People and Fortune magazines, and its sub-organizations include AOL, CNN and HBO. Alongside all this he also holds shares in the Walt Disney Entertainment company which owns the Disney Worlds in both Florida and Los Angeles in USA, as well as Disneyland Paris and the satellite TV channel, ABC.

It is worthy of mention that the Arab and World Media Forum represents a vital platform for the discussion of various issues concerning media in the Arab world. The participation of distinguished Arab and global figures will place the spotlight on the opportunities and challenges facing media in the Arab region, as well as ways to galvanize its role in setting and influencing the global public opinion on various issues.