The Sharjah Press Club of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau will host the fifth edition of the Arab Media Leaders Forum, an initiative by the Arab Media Forum Authority, on 26th and 27th September, featuring more than a hundred leading journalists, media professionals, senior management and owners etc.

The forum will open with the session titled, 'The Reality of Arab Media and the Desired Future'. It will discuss the development trajectories and capabilities of media institutions in the region, as well as the role of institutions in developing the media industry and the social responsibility of media institutions.

The second session, 'Recent Developments in Media and Professional Variables', tackles the role of Arab media and the contemporary challenges they face, while highlighting the significant, dramatic changes which have occurred in the industry so far.

Leading Arab opinion-makers and media leaders from across the Arab world will also take part in a brainstorming session on the impact of the media, its objectives and its plans to boost and manage further development in this vital sector.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, said that Sharjah’s hosting of the fifth edition of the Arab Media Leaders Forum reflects the depth of media relations between the two sides.

He lauded Kuwait's continuous efforts to support the Arab media in confronting the challenges and pursuing an agenda of growth while pointing to its remarkable achievements in the media sector.

The Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council stressed Sharjah’s keenness to promote media in the Arab world and create a media environment that encourages development and innovation in accordance with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

He cited a number of achievements made by the emirate in the media sector. He pointed out that Sharjah established the UAE’s first newspaper, "Oman", in 1927, and the country’s first Arabic daily, Al Khaleej, in 1970. That was followed by a series of developments and initiatives aimed at developing the working of the media.

Sheikh Sultan outlined the objectives of the media institutions under Sharjah Media Council, including Sharjah Media Corporation, Sharjah Government Media Bureau and Sharjah Media City, whose programmes align with Sharjah's development plans and qualitative leapfrogs.

Madi Abdullah Al Khamis, Secretary-General of the Arab Media Forum, emphasised that the current developments and challenges facing the sector are the top priorities of the Arab Media Leaders Forum through an agenda that considers these issues to be firmly in the hands of Arab media leaders.

Thanking the chairman of the Sharjah Media Council for hosting the forum, he stressed that hosting of this strategic event is not unusual for the Emirate of Sharjah, which is known for its world-class events and activities. "The Arab Media Leaders Forum comes in line with all these initiatives and efforts," he added.

Al Khamis stressed that the relevance and importance of the Arab Media Leaders Forum lie in its keeping with many of the events that concern the Arab media and influencing it strongly. He pointed out that a number of issues and challenges facing the Arab media deserve to be tackled by the forum. These include the media’s role in the so-called Arab Spring unrest, and in strengthening Arab ties, which attracts the attention of the League of Arab States and Arab Media Forum, both fully aware of the media’s impact on those ties.

He said that media changes are an urgent issue that has cast its shadow on the current stage, especially in light of modern media. He indicated that the media machine is witnessing a myriad of new developments and fluctuations, and many surprising events are affecting the reality of Arab media.