Arab Forum to highlight changing world of media

Maryam Bin Fahad joined Dubai Press Club (DPC) as Executive Director in 2005 after working on its projects that year. Since then she has taken three of the calendar events of the club to international level. After completing her graduation in film and moving image production she went abroad to complete her studies in the same field. She is keenly applying all that knowledge to DPC programmes and at the same time waiting for the right time to follow her passion, which is two of the film scripts that she has written.


What is the objective of DPC and has it changed over the years?

Over the past 10 years – the club was established in 1999 – it has become a role model in the region with various activities that it provides to members, including professional support and social events. It is also a platform for local and regional journalists for networking and exposing themselves to international personalities and events as it organises seminars hosted by well-known figures and professionals. The club has also conceived and developed some important international events that attract global participants and audiences and receives valuable exposure abroad.

In 2001, DPC initiated Arab Media Forum followed by Journalism Awards and later it initiated the exercise of collating and presenting useful information on regional media in the form of Arab Media Outlook. These are all very important calendar events hosted on an annual basis. Today, we have combined Arab Media Forum and Journalism Awards and look forward to hosting the eighth chapter on May 11 and 12. This year's edition is better and bigger than ever. The event is 30 per cent larger than before and is handling some of the most sensitive and demanding issues of media and mass communication in the Middle East.

How is the forum different in content this year?

The participants and the subjects that we are dealing with this time are going to take the forum to a different level. We are inviting some of the top and most respected officials from all over the world, not just from the Middle East. Participants from as far as China and Malaysia will be on the podium.

The various sessions for the forum are designed with a view to make the proceedings of the event a true reflection of the current state of the media in the Arab world, in terms of politics, technology and the socio-economic content. Apart from various sessions and workshops, we are also holding a special keynote address on investigative journalism. One of the world's foremost journalists with a track record in breaking stories on global politics will deliver the keynote address.

Does the forum hold any relevance, since it's only a platform to voice opinion and doesn't have any powers to execute?

On the contrary, we don't wish to impose anything on anyone. The forum is a platform that is an amalgamation of DPC's year-long efforts and we bring all the relevant officials and media personalities to highlight what's the need of the hour and help the rest of the world to see the Arab perspective of media.

Additionally, this year's programme not only highlights the current crisis that the media and the region may be facing but our invited experts will shed light on the current trends and future of media. With new technology and drastic changes impacting the traditional media, things are changing rapidly and we hope to have a peep into the future of what can be expected in the fast growing and changing world of media.

Television and new technology is another challenge for the region and the forum will discuss and bring to the forefront the complications that are faced by the media players and their partners.

What are the major subjects that you intend to handle and highlight at this year's forum?

The forum will deal with a lot of relevant subjects that need to be highlighted for better understanding for the region and the rest of the world. We are hosting three special workshops that will focus on the proliferation of private television channels in Egypt, the mushrooming of popular heritage channels in the Arab world and the practice of Fatwas being aired on television. All these topics are particularly relevant in today's context as the religious content on television saw a major spurt in the past few years.

With all this prominence being given to all the three major events organised and hosted by DPC, how does the club retain its own identity?

DPC has a strong brand identity as a leading media development organisation of the Arab world. Established in 1999 as per the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the club has evolved over a period of one eventful decade into the most sought after platform for heads of state, eminent government officials, intellectuals, writers and other dignitaries to reach out to the media and communicate their message.

Our road shows and other minor events throughout the year keep DPC in the limelight and the current 2,000 strong membership is growing rapidly. This vindicates the fact that the club is a strong link for the media in the region, be it for individuals or establishments.

How do you intend to enhance communication of the club since it is growing internationally in its reach?

We have a very effective website that's updated on a regular basis and in addition to that we are using social networking sites including Facebook.

We are still debating the option of acquiring www.arabmediaforum.com portal that's apparently available with a squatter who seems to be demanding $300,000 [Dh1.1 million]. But even in the absence of that portal we are making very good use of the internet and digital technology to reach out to all our members and patrons.


PROFILE: Maryam Bin Fahad Executive Director,Dubai Press Club