Arab Media Forum Opens in Dubai on April 26th

The One-day event will feature participation of a select of key Arab media experts and prominent speakers who will explore the status of the Arab media in light of current political, economic and social developments within the region. The forum will also examine the status of members of the Arab media community, with special focus on difficulties and obstacles facing them in the field and how does this affect their performance.

Commenting on this round of the Arab Media Forum, Mona Al Marri, Chairperson of Dubai Press Club said:

"The forum this year will be different as it will not feature participation of international media speakers. We feel the need to put the status of Arab media under the microscope for closer examination of all factors that affect the industry from within. We thought it is necessary to give more space to Arab speakers to express their concerns, views and future perspectives for the industry".

"The Arab region is witnessing major developments which are reflected heavily on the industry. These developments raised the ceiling of public expectations around the role media can play during this sensitive era of the region's history" She added "Thus, we felt it is more proper to focus on the reflections of these developments, with particular focus on strengths and weaknesses generated by these developments on the regional media" Al Marri explained.

Arab Media Forum has successfully established itself as one of the most important media events within the region. Due to the significance of issues discussed, the event has been in the focal attention of both regional and international media, giving its news and discussions considerable coverage.

"While promoting the value of dialogue and exchange of ideas and view points as one of the key drivers of the industry, Dubai Press Club has been keen on leveraging the AMF as a vital platform for creating new bench marks for the media industry within the Arab world" Al Marri said.

Along with the main sessions, Arab Media Forum 2006 will be marked with intense interactive break out sessions and workshops which will discuss a wide range of topics related to the main theme of the forum.