The Arab Media Summit continues its activities that began two days ago, featuring the Dubai Media Corporation as the strategic media partner of the event. This highlights the corporation’s leading role in supporting significant media events both locally and regionally, affirming its commitment to Dubai’s vision of establishing the emirate as a premier media hub in the region.
The corporation has been providing comprehensive coverage throughout the first two days via live television broadcasts and interactive sessions, emphasizing its proactive role in conveying the essence of the summit to the Arab audience. Coverage will continue until the conclusion of the summit.
Additionally, the corporation has offered complete digital and media coverage through its television channels and digital platforms, showcasing key discussions related to the future of media and its technological challenges. The “Media Chats” platform, in collaboration with Al-Bayan and the Dubai Media Academy, has created a vibrant dialogue space, gathering a selection of specialists, decision-makers, and members of the new generation to discuss critical topics such as the relationship between media and identity, the role of data in AI development, and the impact of social media on shaping public opinion.
Motivational Address
On the first day of the “Arab Media Summit 2025,” Mona Ghanem Al-Marri, Vice President and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, and President of the Dubai Press Club, visited the corporation’s booth at the event along with participants from the “Creative Makers” program. During the visit, Al-Marri delivered an inspiring speech to a group of university students involved in the program, emphasizing the importance of empowering youth and providing career paths that enhance their creative capabilities, aligning with Dubai’s vision of investing in national talents and shaping the future of media.
Also present were Salem Baliyah, Executive Director of the Content Sector at the Dubai Media Corporation, Sheikha Ahmed, Executive Director of the Human Resources Sector, and Abdullah Al-Mansoori, Executive Director of the Institutional Support Sector.
The “Creative Makers – UAE Photographer” program is one of the leading initiatives launched by the Dubai Media Corporation as part of its ongoing efforts to support localization. The program aims to train graduates practically and prepare them for various sectors within the corporation. It began on April 7 and will run for two months following extensive media campaigns that attracted numerous graduates from media and communication colleges. This current session has selected 14 young men and women based on specific criteria and competencies, with the training plan including practical training within the corporation in collaboration with the Operations Department, alongside external workshops and intensive field training to refine participants’ skills and evaluate their performance for prospective employment within the corporation.
From the Heart of the Event
The Dubai Media Corporation continued its activities at the “Arab Media Summit 2025” through live broadcasts featured on its television channels and digital platforms, hosting prominent figures and distinguished speakers at the event. The comprehensive media coverage reflects the corporation’s interest in conveying the summit’s content to the Arab audience. The live studio on the first day welcomed Mariam Mulla, Acting Director of the Dubai Press Club, as well as Elias Bou Saab, Deputy Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and Executive Vice President of the American University in Dubai, and Nadia Al-Zoubi from Oman Channel. The studio also hosted adventurer and explorer Khalifa Al-Mazrouei, representing National Geographic Arabic, and Thomas Khoury, General Manager of Condé Nast Middle East.
A wide range of reporters and content creators from various specialties participated in the coverage, including Dr. Yasar Jrar, a member of the Board of Trustees of Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, Rima Mismar, Executive Director of Afaq Foundation, and media personalities like Mohamed Qais from Al-Mashhad Channel. The media team also included content creator and entrepreneur Saeed Al-Romithi, Dr. Ahmed Ali Al-Raisi, Acting President of the United Arab Emirates University, along with content creator Heiba Saleh, emotional intelligence consultant Maya Al-Hawari, among others. Additionally, a special episode of the “Dubai Pulse” program was filmed live from the event, set to air later today on Dubai TV, featuring key figures in the media and content creation sectors.
Discussion Sessions
On the first day, the corporation arranged notable discussion sessions under the umbrella of “Dubai Media” in collaboration with Dubai Media Academy and Al-Bayan. The program consisted of two sessions addressing critical topics regarding the future shifts in Arab media, its digital, professional, and societal transformations.
The first session, titled “AI Initiative in Arab Media,” was moderated by media personality Adele Ta’ama from the Dubai Media Corporation and discussed the importance of enhancing Arab identity and values within AI models. Asem Jalal, a consultant at the Dubai Media Academy, emphasized the need for AI to integrate with authentic Arabic content. Heeba Al-Samat, Director of “Awan” platform, stressed the need to support Arabic digital content development. Meanwhile, Hatim Al-Shouli, Supervisor of Digital Media at “Asharq News,” raised concerns about the risks of cultural identity erosion due to over-reliance on AI, highlighting the necessity of training journalists in the professional and conscious use of these tools.
The second session was titled “Dear Failure… Thank You,” moderated by Ibrahim Istadi. It featured Saudi journalist Ali Al-Illiani and Murooj Ibrahim from Sky News Arabia, discussing how to turn failure into a springboard for success through personal experiences that underlined the importance of stumbling as an essential part of professional and personal development.
Summation
The first day of activities organized by the Dubai Media Corporation concluded with Mona Ghanem Al-Marri, who appeared in a special episode of the program “Cipher.” The episode focused on the successful codes behind the summit, discussing the vital role of the “Arab Media Summit” in advancing the media sector and its importance in the Arab media landscape in terms of impact and leadership. This episode is scheduled to air next Sunday, featuring a unique presentation style that reflects innovation and dialogue, in line with the corporation’s direction to deliver quality content that highlights media leadership and inspiring experiences.
Day Two
Continuing the activities of the second day of “Arab Media Summit 2025,” the Dubai Media Corporation maintained its coverage, including live discussions and debates on the future and challenges of the media. The joint dialogue platform between Al-Bayan and the Dubai Media Academy attracted significant interaction from specialists and representatives of the new generation, addressing key issues related to identity, data, and the impact of digital media.
Live Broadcasts
The coverage highlighted direct discussions on crucial matters concerning the media’s future amid the rapid changes brought about by AI technologies. Dr. Ghassan Salameh, the Lebanese Minister of Culture, pointed out the challenges the sector will face, indicating that the rise of AI casts doubts over the future of the industry, while underlining essential criteria for ensuring media success in this changing environment without going into specifics.
Al-Marri also highlighted the importance of viewing AI as a supportive tool for developing media content that keeps pace with modern audience aspirations while serving the Arab media ecosystem, maintaining a balance between technical values and societal messaging.
Media Chats
As part of the continued quality dialogue programs, the summit hosted a series of interactive sessions on its second day titled “Media Chats,” organized in collaboration with Al-Bayan and Dubai Media Academy. These sessions provided an open window on the significant transformations within the media landscape, encompassing various perspectives combining technical insights and cultural challenges.
The first session addressed the topic “The Impact of Social Media on Public Trends,” moderated by media personality Kareem Mohand Shams, featuring economic analyst Saif Al-Naqbi and Growth Company founder Khaled Al-Jabari, focusing on the profound influence that social platforms now have on public awareness and behavior and how the tools of media influence have evolved with the rise of individual presence and influencers, where digital trust is now reliant on the credibility of content and its speed of dissemination.
The second session posed a fundamental question titled “The Future between Two Visions… Media or Identity?” moderated by media personality Amer Bin Jisas, bringing together Dr. Rafieha Obaid Al-Ghubash, a professor of psychiatry and founder of the Women’s Museum, and Dr. Karima Matar Al-Mazrouei, advisor to the director of Mohammed Bin Zayed University for Humanities. This discussion examined the accumulated cultural challenges facing the Arab media system, emphasizing that preserving national identity is not a luxury but an existential necessity, warning against succumbing to global concepts that weaken belonging and disrupt societal awareness. They called for the use of narrative tools in media and arts to reinforce cultural values.
Dr. Karim Al-Mazrouei pointed out the fundamental changes in the awareness and aspirations of the new generation due to overwhelming technological presence, referring to what she termed “unstable identities” that require informed media literacy education, to recalibrate the relationship between humans and technology, asserting that media has an exceptional responsibility in balancing digital transformation with preserving cultural privacy.
Concluding the live sessions, the third session focused on “Data as Fuel for AI,” moderated by Maysaa Al-Qala from CNBC Arab, involving participants like Hossam Mujahid, Chairman of the Communications Association, and Samer Al-Jayousi, Regional Director of AI at DELL, who discussed the technological and linguistic challenges facing the development of Arabic-speaking AI. They affirmed that high-quality data is fundamental to any effective smart system, indicating that the media must enhance its practices in producing accurate and reliable content to contribute to building an Arab knowledge base capable of leading the upcoming stage in AI development and feeding smart databases.