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Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended the Main Dialogue Session of the 17th edition of the Arab Media Forum held in Dubai today.
The Main Session was also attended by Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Deputy Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future His Excellency Mohammad Abdulla Al Gergawi; and Minister of State and Chairman of the National Media Council His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber. Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri delivered the welcome address.
The Main Session of AMF featured a ‘dialogue’ with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain His Excellency Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. In a conversation with Muntaha Al Ramahy, Anchor of Al Arabiya News Channel, His Excellency addressed various issues including the state of the media in the Arab world and recent developments in the GCC political landscape.
In response to a question on whether Dubai is a model that others could copy, His Excellency said, “This beautiful city is a global hub. Earlier, we had three global cities, London, Paris and New York. Now with Dubai, we have added the fourth one.”
“Bahrain and the UAE were like one country in the time of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The UAE is a source of pride for all of us. Its achievements did not happen overnight and have come as a result of hard work,” said His Excellency
The Bahraini Foreign Minister sought to correct the perception that there was a “problem” with the media in the region. “The region is going through a phase of transformation and the media is dealing with this with a great deal of responsibility. We should not feel that there is a problem with the media. There are some exceptions like instances of fake news and biased news, but I see media largely committed to society and ethics. The professional side is always developing.”
“Compare media today to the media of 15 years ago. Media are taking up different issues. There are crises around us but the media is dealing with it,” he pointed out. “Yes of course, there is fake news but it is not sustainable. We will be able to face this by exerting more efforts to counter it.”
He said that GCC countries guarantee freedom of the media, an ideal that goes back to the vision of the founding fathers of GCC countries. He said GCC countries are governed by clear laws and anybody who violates these laws should be held accountable.
In response to a question on whether Bahrain was dependent on Saudi Arabia, he said: “Those who are aware of the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain know that these are family ties. We have one heart and mind. There is no dependency, only coordination.” The strong relationship, based on mutual cooperation and respect goes back to the time of the late King Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
Responding to another question on whether Bahrain and the GCC countries are willing to settle issues with Qatar, the Bahraini Foreign Minister said there is no possibility of reconciliation while the current regime continues to rule Qatar. The regime has not honoured previous pledges made in 2013 and 2014 to the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to change their aggressive approach. He downplayed the threat that the Qatar crisis posed to the GCC saying that the stand of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain regarding Qatar is a testament to the GCC’s strength. The threat posed by the Qatar crisis is exaggerated, he said, adding that the GCC is not dependent on Qatar.
He identified Iran as the main danger for Bahrain. However, he said that if Iran changes its policies, it is possible to build bridges with it. The Bahraini foreign minister said Iran posed two main problems – firstly, the occupation of the three UAE islands and secondly, its strategy of destabilising countries in the region. Stressing that the Iranian people were the first to suffer from the regime, he said that the strained relationship with the Iranian regime does not affect Bahrain’s relationship with the people of Iran. “However, if you talk about Iranians affiliated to the current regime, we should be careful of them,” he said. The Minister noted that Iran and Bahrain enjoyed a good relationship before the Iranian revolution in 1979.
Speaking about the sweeping changes and wave of reforms that have been initiated by the leadership in Saudi Arabia, he said that what is happening in the country is based on the ideals and principles of the country’s founding fathers. The initiatives, he said, will help unleash the power and energy of the Saudi people and bring many positive outcomes.
On the question of Bahrain’s relationship with the US, the Foreign Minister said that ties between the two countries are bigger and better than ever before. The relationship, he stressed, is not based on personalities but on the security and stability of the region. It is a good relationship that promises excellent outcomes, he added.
Earlier, delivering the welcome address, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri said: “The two-day event will discuss how the changes in the Arab region will affect the media, and how the media itself has influenced these changes. The changes sweeping across the region over the last 10 years have had a significant impact on the media. At this year’s Arab Media Forum, we are seeking to identify the prime responsibilities of the media and create a vision for ensuring the media exerts a positive influence and becomes a true partner in dealing with the challenges facing the region. The objective of the Forum is to help the media play a more constructive role and create the right conditions for the media to participate in the development of the Arab world. To do so, professional and ethical media organisations should work to counter the efforts of unethical media and individuals who aim to defame others and spread fake news.”
Held under the patronage of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, from 3-4 April 2018, the 17th edition of the Arab Media Forum (AMF) has brought together more than 3,000 prominent regional and international media figures and thoughts leaders.
Apart from high-profile local speakers, the two-day event features 50 speakers representing 20 countries from across the Arab region and the world. Under the theme ‘Impactful Media Trends’, prominent media personalities, writers, influencers and academics are sharing their views on diverse issues at the Forum with the aim of forging a new vision for the media.
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