Uzbek Delegation Visit Key UAE Media Institutions

Uzbek delegation visit key UAE media institutions

A government delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan concluded a three-day visit to the UAE today as part of a framework agreed upon between the two nations to strengthen their strategic partnership and boost cooperation in various areas, especially in modernising government work and sharing knowledge as well as success stories in communication and media.

DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 16th Oct, 2019) A government delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan concluded a three-day visit to the UAE today as part of a framework agreed upon between the two nations to strengthen their strategic partnership and boost cooperation in various areas, especially in modernising government work and sharing knowledge as well as success stories in communication and media.

During the visit organised by the General Secretariat of the Cabinet at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, the visiting delegation was briefed on the communication system of the UAE and media work models. The visit featured workshops, orientation sessions and visits to many media and government institutions in the country. The objective of the programme was to provide the Uzbek delegation a deeper understanding of communication best practices in the UAE.

Abdullah Bintouq, Secretary General of the Cabinet said: "The UAE continues to invest and create a supportive and stimulating environment for all practices and success stories to support its vision. Simultaneously, the UAE seeks to maintain and strengthen the principle of partnership with different countries of the world as one of the major pillars required to achieve greater mutual success that would serve the interests of both parties in line with the goals of its ambitious development process in all fields."

Bintouq hailed the strategic partnership between the UAE and Uzbekistan and said: "It is based on knowledge exchange and transfer of distinctive experiences. During the visit of the Uzbek delegation, we were keen to promote dialogue and share ideas and opinions in the fields of communication and media," he added.

He further said: "We look forward to working together in the near future to develop joint projects and initiatives between the two countries that will establish and open new horizons in government work."

The UAE Government Liaison Office at the General Secretariat of the Cabinet at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future held an introductory session for the delegation titled: "The Communication System of the UAE Government". The Session touched on the most important success stories of the Liaison Office, reviewed internal and external communication systems of the federal government and outlined the Liaison Office’s responsibilities in promoting internal communication channels between ministries and federal bodies. The Session also shed light on other roles of the Office such as strategic media planning and development of media capabilities and competencies, and highlighted the main tools and mechanisms used in writing and coordinating media messages for the government, which aim to serve and achieve the overall objectives of the government’s strategic plan and reach out to the public.

Mansour Al Mansouri, Director General of the National Media Council, hosted the delegation and discussed with them mechanisms to develop the information and media sector in the UAE. He outlined the most important tasks of the National Media Council including creating regulations and standards to license and accredit media organisations and its employees, organising information and e-publishing, proposing draft laws, preparing regulations to regulate media activities, as well as the follow-up of media content in its various traditional and digital forms.

Al Mansouri highlighted the important role played by the meeting in enhancing media cooperation between the UAE and Uzbekistan, as well as exchanging experiences and ideas, and encouraging communication between the two countries, which among other things will highlight their rich cultures and promote intellectual and cultural engagement between their peoples.

During the meeting, Al Mansouri illustrated NMC’s role in creating a regulatory environment that supports the development of the UAE’s media sector, and the legislation and initiatives implemented by the Council to enable the sector to meet modern challenges, requirements and developments.

He stressed that the NMC’s strategy focuses on promoting cooperation between concerned media organisations and promoting the role of the media in achieving sustainable development. He added that consolidating friendship between peoples and countries can only be achieved through the exchange of experiences and knowledge The delegation also visited the Government of Dubai Media Office. Members of the delegation were received by Mona Al Marri, Director General of GDMO, in the presence of the Chairman of the Dubai Film and tv Commission Jamal Al Sharif and Editor-in-Chief of Dubai Post Khadija Al Marzouqi, apart from directors of various departments of GDMO.

During the meeting, Mona Al Marri highlighted the importance of mutual visits to exchange knowledge and best practices in the media sector as part of the strategic partnership signed between the UAE and Uzbekistan. She also said that GDMO is keen to strengthen partnership between the media sectors of both countries by building collaboration in training and qualifying young media talent, and implementing best practices to keep pace with the latest technology developments that can help realise the strategic objectives of both countries.

The meeting also discussed the media industry’s development in Dubai and the initiatives taken to strengthen government communication capabilities in Dubai in line with the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to convey an accurate image of Dubai and promote its key achievements and contributions towards building a better future for the region and the world.

Al Marri also briefed the delegation about the rapid growth of the media industry in Dubai, which was sparked 20 years ago by the establishment of Dubai Media City, a unique cluster of regional and international media firms. She noted that Dubai was recently selected by the Council of Arab Information Ministers as the Capital of Arab media for the year 2020.

During the meeting, Al Marri also discussed Dubai’s strong relationship with local, regional and international media and its efforts to foster a robust partnership with them. She also talked about GDMO’s efforts to promote communication between local and federal entities, and the various initiatives it has undertaken to strengthen the capabilities of UAE media. Al Marri also highlighted the role of the media in providing accurate and trustworthy information, as well as combating fake news, which has become a key challenge facing media outlets worldwide.

Jamal Al Sharif highlighted Dubai’s emergence as an international hub for filmmakers. He discussed the measures that Dubai has taken to attract filmmakers to shoot and produce their projects in the emirate. Al Sharif said that developing a strong infrastructure was key to attracting filmmakers to Dubai. He also spoke about the cutting-edge film production infrastructure provided by Dubai Studio City.

Director of Strategic Media Affairs of GDMO Noora Al Abbar highlighted the role of the Media Office in boosting the communication capabilities of various government and semi government entities through initiatives like the ‘Dubai International Communication Committee’ and the strategic projects undertaken to enhance Dubai’s global reputation and proactively communicate its key messages and accomplishments. Al Abbar also outlined GDMO’s partnerships with prominent international training and consultancy institutions, apart from its media programmes such as "Meet the CEO" which facilitate interactions between media and senior government officials.

Nehal Badri, Director of Brand Dubai, the creative arm of GDMO, briefed the delegation about key projects and initiatives undertaken by Brand Dubai in partnership with government and semi government institutions, which seek to transform Dubai into an open-air museum that tells the story of the city in a creative way. She also spoke about key public art projects that highlight the UAE’s culture and unique identity and events organised annually to display the work of promising local and international artists.

Abdulla Al Mansouri, Director of Corporate Support at GDMO and Team Leader of Dubai 10X Media, shared recent initiatives launched to promote eSports in Dubai and the UAE as part of efforts to promote sectors at the convergence of technology, media and entertainment. He also shed light on major international gaming events organised to support the development of Dubai as a hub for the global gaming sector.

Editor-in-Chief of Dubai Post Khadija Al Marzouqi discussed the digital transformation of Dubai’s media and shared Dubai Post’s experience in enriching content with new digital tools and providing new value to media audiences.

Salem Belyouha, Director of Media Services at GDMO, discussed the organisation’s key services and the advanced technologies it has implemented to create a comprehensive centre for broadcasting and online publishing.

The Programme also included a visit to the Ministry of Possibilities during which the delegation was briefed on the Ministry’s main functions and practices. The Ministry’s responsibilities include the development of pre-emptive fundamental solutions to addressing certain national issues within a specific time schedule. The Ministry of Possibilities, whose composition keeps changing based on the challenges it deals with, has a team composed of officials from various federal and local government bodies, private sector and individuals set up to carry out joint assignments, in addition to reviewing the work and system of government accelerators and the Youth Hub of the Federal Youth Authority.

The delegation also visited media organisations. During their visit to the regional headquarters of Bloomberg, the delegation was briefed on the company's business and news services. Bloomberg is one of the world’s largest companies specialised in providing news, information and financial services. The delegation was also briefed on Bloomberg’s business plans for the region conducted through its Dubai bureau. It is one of 10 branches of the company worldwide, and its news services cover the middle East and North Africa.

A number of institutions in the country, including the GEMS Wellington academy and MBC, also shared their experiences with the delegation. The delegation also attended a workshop hosted by Dubai Media City, which addressed the success stories of companies and institutions in Free Zones presented by Majid Al Suwaidi, General Manager of Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Production City.

Majed Al Suwaidi said: "We are delighted to welcome the delegation to Dubai Media City and believe the visit is a step that further contributes to the bilateral cooperation between the UAE and Uzbekistan. At Dubai Media City, we continue to play a major role in the growth and development of the media sector both locally and regionally by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure and advanced business environment that stimulates innovation and creativity and this in return contributed to Dubai’s selection as the Capital of Arab Media 2020."

He added: "Since inception, Dubai Media City evolved into the largest hub for media organizations in the region and is now home to global media giants as well as innovative startups and content creators, and we were glad to share expertise with the visiting delegation."

The strategic partnership between the UAE and Uzbekistan in the field of government modernisation features 19 pivotal points for joint collaboration. It was agreed to implement 120 initiatives and projects with the aim of benefitinf from the UAE government’s leading models in modernization, measurement of performance, provision of services, forming task groups in various fields including strategy, performance, innovation, programming, the future of education, economy, competitiveness, and business.