GMC consolidates UAE's leadership in tackling contemporary media challenges

GMC consolidates UAE's leadership

The United Arab Emirates has consolidated its position as a centre for media exchange and international cooperation, to keep pace with the changes and challenges facing the sector and explore opportunities for its development in the future.

The UAE will host the second edition of the Global Media Congress (GMC) tomorrow, Tuesday, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, with the participation of 172 countries.

The event reaffirms the UAE's leadership and influential presence in the regional and international media landscape, as the current edition will see a large international participation and presence of leaders, thinkers, experts and professionals in the media sector from around the world.

The congress, organised by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in partnership with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), will highlight the key role of environmental media in sustainability and supporting climate issues. It will also focus on media education, especially youth participation, as it will welcome students from 100 universities to prepare them to contribute to shaping the media landscape.

The congress will witness the holding of an event dedicated to major buyers in the sector, and the holding of a specialised conference that will attract more than 77 speakers representing the pillars of the media industry from 18 countries under the slogan "Shaping the Future of the Media Industry", which includes 36 main sessions, in addition to the holding of 5 accompanying events, some of which will be held for the first time, including the Innovation and Startups Platform.

Over the past few years, the UAE has become a sustainable source for launching ambitious initiatives and solutions to the challenges facing the media industry around the world and enhancing its ability to produce and publish impactful media content.

International events such as the Arab Media Forum in Dubai, the Abu Dhabi Media Summit, and the International Government Communication Forum in Sharjah, have contributed to highlighting the influential role that the UAE plays in shaping the future of media in all its forms.

The Arab Youth Centre's Young Arab Media Leaders program has successfully trained and empowered hundreds of young men and women from across the Arab world. Today, most of these graduates work in visual, written, and audio media institutions, and digital media platforms in the UAE, other Arab countries, and around the world.

The programme has become a title of interest for media institutions that are looking to attract outstanding talent, in addition to its success in supporting the launch of a number of youth-led projects in the field of creating meaningful content.

In June of last year, the New Media Academy, the first academy in the field of digital media in the Middle East, celebrated its 3rd anniversary since its launch by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, on 15th June, 2020.

The Academy's programmes and workshops have been attended by over 60,000 people, who have received over 3.2 million minutes of education. Additionally, the Academy's exclusive content for content creators has garnered over 1.7 billion views.

Among the UAE's initiatives, WAM stands out for its unwavering commitment to contributing positively to the global media landscape. The news agency has concluded over 120 international cooperation agreements in the field of news and media with news agencies, newspapers, radio, television, and digital institutions across the globe. This has had a positive impact on the delivery of news and reports from various sectors in the UAE to a wide range of audiences in friendly and brotherly countries, in 19 different languages.

In September 2022, WAM organised the World Media Seminar in collaboration with the Sharjah Government Media Office as part of the preparatory events for the 12th International Government Communication Forum.

The seminar explores the role of the media in highlighting sustainability issues over two days, with the participation of a group of experts and experts who shed light on the reality of the media in the current era, the requirements of the media of the future, and the importance of investing in the media as a supportive platform for the efforts and plans of development in various sectors.

On the other hand, media cities in the UAE continue to attract international, regional, and local media projects, encouraging them to establish headquarters in the country, and contributing to providing artistic innovations and expertise in various forms of visual, audio, print, and digital content.

The country includes several free media zones that offer incentives to investors in the media sector, including 100% ownership, a tax-free environment, and easy registration and establishment services. These zones have become home to reputable global media networks and institutions thanks to their high-level production services and facilities.