Enhance image and reputation of Arab world, VP tells young media leaders

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, met with over 100 young people from 19 Arab countries participating in the 3rd Young Arab Media Leaders Programme.

The programme, which was held at the Youth Centre in the Emirates Towers in Dubai, in the presence of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, was organised by the Arab Youth Centre to train Arab media talents, in cooperation with 40 regional and international media foundations.

During his meeting with the programme’s participants, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid highlighted the importance of committing to the ethics of journalism.

"You must all assume the responsibility of enhancing the image and reputation of the Arab world, and we must be aware of how we interact with and commit to credible sources. We must also highlight our Arab achievements and preserve our legacy. Journalists must convey the community’s message and contribute to its development, and a true journalist must search for information and convey them to the world," he said.

Sheikh Mohammed urged the participants to benefit from the regional and international audience in the UAE, which hosts thousands of media institutions, journalists and experts from around the world, stressing that the centre, under the leadership of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, has opened its doors to youth innovation, in cooperation with media foundations.

Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan at the 3rd Young Arab Media Leaders Programme.

The meeting was attended by Mohammad Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and Shamma Bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs.

The programme aims to build the media capacities of the youth and reduce the media content gap of media colleges and institutions and the labour market. Its third edition was attended by young journalists from Oman, Morocco, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Syria, Comoros Islands, Kuwait, Algeria, Sudan, Yemen, Bahrain, Mauritania, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, the UAE and Libya.

Since its inception in 2017, the programme has trained over 300 media students from the Arab region and has created many job opportunities in media foundations.

The programme was organised by the centre, in collaboration leading media organisations, such as the National Media Council, NMC, the Emirates News Agency, WAM, the Abu Dhabi Media Zone Authority, Twofour 54, the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office, the Dubai Government Media Office, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Dubai Media City, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, YouTube, the Middle East, Vision, and the National.

The programme’s activities are supported by Sky News Arabia, Bloomberg International, CNN, MBC, Euronews, Dubai Media Incorporated, Agence France-Presse, AFP, the American University of Dubai, the American University of Sharjah, New York University-Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Media, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Accenture, Haykal Media, and the Harvard Business Review, UTURN Entertainment and APCO Worldwide.

WAM