Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum witnessed the official opening of the Arab Media Forum (AMF) organised by Dubai Press Club at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.
President of Dubai Press Club and Chairperson of the AMF Organising Committee H.E. Mona Ghanem Al Marri delivered the Arab Media Forum opening speech in its 17th edition, shedding light on various discussion topics in the field of media in the Arab world.
H.E. Al Marri pointed out the importance of studying how the media industry affects events and how it is affected by such events. “The need for developing the media industry has become crucial. Media should regain its part as a driver of development,” Al Marri said.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Dubai Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation 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 H.E. Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of State and Chairman of the National Media Council H.E. Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, and a host of renowned Arab and foreign media figures.
In the Main Dialogue Session, moderated by Al Arabiya Channel anchor Muntaha Al Ramahy, H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, highlighted the strong brotherly ties between Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Khalid praised the level of development the UAE has achieved, which transformed it into an incubator for the future industry.
Moreover, H.E. Sheikh Khalid regarded the development and reform in Saudi Arabia as a positive change drive that would affect the whole region. He also touched on the current crisis with Qatar saying that the Qatari government chose to alienate itself from its Arab roots, and that reconciliation seems to be farfetched.
H.E. Sheikh Khalid also said that the regime in Iran poses a huge threat to the region because its foreign policy that leans toward aggressive attempts to spread chaos & interfere in neighbouring countries. He also said that the Iranian people themselves suffer from the aggressiveness of the regime. On another note, Sheikh Khalid praised the US-GCC relations and described it as a stabilising tool in the region.
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