ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 11th May, 2020) Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, Chairman of the National Media Council (NMC), has stated that the media sector in the UAE is resilient enough to respond to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and turn challenges to opportunities to reshape and implement pace-settting strategies that can be relied upon in the post-coronavirus era.
Al Jaber's remarks came during the Ramadan Media Forum organised by the NMC virtually today in the presence of Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Director-General of Dubai Government Media Office, Director-General and Vice Chairperson of the Dubai Media Council, Rashid Saeed Al Ameri, Under-Secretary for Government Coordination Sector at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Mohammed Jalal Alrayssi, Acting Director-General of NMC along with a number of chief editors and executives of a number media outlets in the UAE, who reviewed three main tents during the forum: Future of Media after Coronavirus; Turning Challenges to Opportunities; and Continuing Enlightening Efforts.
At his inaugural remarks, Al Jaber conveyed to the attendees the regards of the UAE leadership and their appreciation of the significant role played by various media outlets in line with the national efforts being tirelessly made to bring the Coronavirus under control.
"The national media sector has proven its preparedness to operate under various challenging circumstances in a way that has served the supreme interests of the country and efficiently contributed to the COVID-19 countermeasures," he said.
"The UAE, under the visionary vision of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has turned to be a beacon for proactive and inspirational thinking that cultivates optimism among various segments of society. All the coronavirus countermeasures have proved to be efficient in curbing the spread of the virus in a way that ensures the public that the nation can survive this stage to forge ahead with its ambitious developmental drive," he said.
"The success of the ongoing awareness campaigns, being launched by national media outlets, entails continual focus on addressing the public in various languages and methodologies to build on the achievements made by the various departments concerned with fighting the crisis," he said, noting in this regard the positive role played by influencers in various social media platforms.
"Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE government is working to shape a state strategy for the post COVID-19 era to ensure economy recovery and resume business momentum. Therefore, the media sector has to align itself with this future-oriented vision and to start reshaping business strategies in a way that ensures the sector can benefit from the ongoing rapid changes to achieve growth and development, " he added.
"We have to focus on enhancing flexibility, boosting efficiency and build on what have been achieved to strengthen people's trust in our ability to forge ahead with the successes that have been made. The current circumstances have altered many of previously well-established concepts and therefore we have to create a fresh content that can fulfil the ambitions of the people and meet future tendencies," he noted.
He hailed the high percentage of viewers across the Arab world for Ramadan drama series and programmes this year, extending thanks to media professionals, actors and actresses for their distinguished efforts.
For her part, Mona Al Marri underlined the importance of convening the media forum at such a time to review the impact of the current situation on the media drive and review the future of the sector after corona.
The forum's participants underscored the importance of the COVID-19 countermeasures taken by the country, stressing that the efficiency of these measures have proved to the world that the UAE boasts the national potential enabling it to survive such trying times.
