Dubai/Sharjah Government Media Bureau –  Education and media are essential for a nation’s progress. This is why Sharjah has on the one hand been investing in building world-class institutions like the University of Sharjah and American University of Sharjah and, on the other hand, it has been working to strengthen the media and communication sector in the Emirate, said Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB).  He was speaking at the annual ENEX General Assembly in Dubai on Thursday.  ENEX (European News Exchange) is a high-profile association of leading international commercial TV broadcasters and media organisations.

HE Tariq Saeed Allay said: “Guided by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Emirate has been the first in the region to recognise the importance of government communication and the positive role the media can play in delivering positive change and fruits of progress to all stakeholders.” 

Hosted by Al Arabiya TV at The Grand Habtoor Hotel, ENEX General Assembly attracted the CEOs and news directors of more than 50 leading broadcasters and media organisations such as CBS, Sky News, RTL and TBS etc., not to mention the bigwigs of the Middle East media.  It is the most important industry event of the year deliberating on the news agenda and the issues and challenges facing the industry.  

Speaking on the occasion, Adrian Wells, Managing Director of ENEX said: ‘ENEX has been rapidly expanding into the Middle East and Gulf. We are very excited to be able to showcase Sharjah’s rich and diverse cultural agenda on the ENEX platform which distributes content worldwide to more than 50 leading commercial TV stations and digital publishers.’ 

Explaining Sharjah’s vision and the steps taken on the media front, Allay said:  “Ours is the first Emirate to form its own Media Council, which includes Sharjah Media Corporation (Radio & TV), Sharjah Government Media Bureau and Sharjah Media City, a fully independent media free zone that is being developed with world-class infrastructure and facilities.”

The Director of the SGMB, the media and communication arm of the Sharjah government, pointed out that Sharjah has been playing a leadership role in the media and communication sphere with initiatives like the annual International Government Communication Forum, which attracts around 3,000 world leaders, influencers and communication experts. The Emirate also rewards excellence in this specialised field through its Government Communication Award. 

He pointed out that Sharjah has several firsts to its credit and enjoys many unique advantages.  The Emirate was declared the Cultural Capital of the Arab World in 1998 by UNESCO and the 2014 Culture Capital of the Islamic World by the OIC. Sharjah was also celebrated as the 2015 Arab Tourism Capital by the Arab League. 

While these laurels acknowledge Sharjah for its celebration of Arab and Islamic heritage and culture, there is more to Sharjah than its distinct culture and more than 20 museums, he added.

“The Emirate is home to nearly 50% of the UAE’s manufacturing sector and the country’s largest industrial area. Sharjah also boasts the most diversified economy in the region and is not critically dependent on any one particular sector. Today, as its economy grows at a steady pace, Sharjah is looking ahead to greater challenges and opportunities as it steadily attracts international investors.”

Sharjah is the only Emirate that shares borders with all other Emirates and offers access to both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, with the most diverse landscape in the region, Allay noted, inviting international guests to visit Sharjah and explore the many opportunities it offered.