Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Hamed chairs UAE Media Council meeting; approves legislative, policy roadmap for UAE's media sector

DUBAI, 28th February, 2024 (WAM) -- Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of the UAE Media Council (UAEMC), has chaired a meeting of the Council's Board of Directors during which he approved a comprehensive legislative and policy roadmap governing the media sector in the country.

During the UAEMC meeting, Sheikh Abdulla stressed that aligning national efforts and creating partnerships with various media organisations in the country paves the way for establishing a leading and integrated media ecosystem that takes the UAE's media sector to new heights, in line with the UAE leadership's vision to enhance the UAE's standing on the global media map.

He said, "The UAE Media Council is ushering in a new phase by designing a comprehensive strategy and an ambitious roadmap that includes conducive policies, progressive legislation and proactive initiatives that keep pace with the rapid shifts reshaping the media industry."

The UAEMC Chairman affirmed the media's significant role in shaping public opinion and culture, and the national media's responsibility as a platform for constructive dialogue on critical issues and spotlighting the UAE's renaissance under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He underscored the importance of ensuring that the UAE's media sector is underpinned by core values such as tolerance and coexistence, which serves the interests of the country and the people, promotes human growth, and drives the UAE's development and its quest for leadership in the present and future.

"We have been instilled with the core principles of modern media that remains at the forefront of contemporary discourse and champions the vital concerns of our nation and its citizens. These guiding principles stem from the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father and architect of our nation. His unwavering belief in the power of media to propel national progress and development is firmly rooted in his profound faith in human capital as the cornerstone of all advancements. He recognised individuals as the true architects, builders, and wealth of the Emirates. This conviction fuelled his dedication to fostering a media landscape that serves as a truthful reflection of both our nation and the global community, upholding the values of strength, influence, effectiveness, transparency, and the comprehensive development he envisioned for all sectors," Sheikh Abdulla went on to say.

Roadmap for Excellence

The UAE Media Council Chairman explained that the UAEMC is working to develop a modern national media sector that concretises the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, utilising his directives as a roadmap for lasting excellence and leadership, with youth serving as the core driver.

"This means establishing a media sector that embraces other world cultures and communities, and keeps pace with ongoing developments and shifts, a modern, flexible and innovative media industry that enhances the 'unique status' boasted by the UAE regionally and globally, one that is powered by the vibrant spirit around which the UAE was built, its comprehensive vision for the future, its efficiency in dealing with crises of all kinds, and optimally utilising its resources to turbocharge sustainable development for the sake of current and future generations."

He also stressed the Council's keenness to translate the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to develop a future-proof media sector equipped to keep pace with ongoing regional and global changes, through innovative, pioneering and ambitious plans and programmes.

Sheikh Abdulla highlighted the UAEMC's keenness to adopt the approach of the UAE leaders and the Rulers of the Emirates in terms of work, giving, serving the UAE people and building a prosperous, cohesive and peaceful community, while preserving the national identity and heritage, by developing a media sector fuelled by science, technology, knowledge and values.

Content in the Knowledge-based Economy

Sheikh Abdulla affirmed that the purpose behind the comprehensive UAE media roadmap is to enhance the media landscape, and provide quality content that accelerates the growth of the UAE's knowledge economy.

"It also seeks to establish a modern, flexible and innovative media industry that enhances the uniqueness of the UAE experience for the region and the world, through its forward-looking vision, and its excellence in overcoming various challenges, as it presents to the world its prosperous model built around order, stability, development and tolerance."

The media, the UAEMC Chairman continued, is our effective tool to help achieve the UAE's development goals, as we seek to leverage new media opportunities and emerging sectors, to boost the media economy's contribution to the country's GDP, and its role in strengthening the national identity through content that promotes national values and cultural heritage.

He also emphasised the keenness of the UAE Media Council to promote a competitive and adaptive media industry, one that is powered by innovation, voices the aspirations of the UAE people, and acts as a sustainable engine for spreading and developing knowledge.

Incentivising young talent

The comprehensive legislative and policy UAE media roadmap, adopted by the UAE Media Council during the first Board of Directors meeting of 2024, targets promoting entrepreneurship in media by offering incentives to attract young talent, and setting a conducive climate that encourages innovation and ensures ease of doing business, while protecting the intellectual property rights of creators in the media sector.

It also seeks to promote the creation of competitive local content by supporting local production, developing training programmes in cooperation with international experts, and creating partnerships to spotlight local content and expand its global reach.

The meeting was attended by Saeed Mohammad Al Eter, Assistant Minister for Strategic Projects at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and Chair of the UAE Government Media Office; Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi, Secretary-General of the UAE Media Council; Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office; Dr. Khalid Omar Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Media City; Nasser Muhammed Al Yamahi, Director-General of the Fujairah Culture and Media Authority; Dr. Saeed Saif Al Matroushi, Secretary-General of Ajman's Executive Council, and Maitha Majed Al Suwaidi, CEO of Strategy and Media Policy and Secretary of the UAE Media Council.