Ras Al Khaimah welcomed visitors from around the world today to its immersive pavilion, which highlights the Emirate’s remarkable sustainable development journey, on the first day of the Global Media Congress (GMC) at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.  In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, the UAE’s northernmost Emirate showcased to national and international media stakeholders all the reasons why it is fast becoming the go-to destination in the region to live, work and explore.  Visitors to Ras Al Khaimah’s dynamic exhibition space, inspired by the colors of the natural world, were introduced to Ras Al Khaimah Government Media Office (RAKGMO) initiatives and strategic plans aimed at enhancing the Emirate’s presence on the global media scene, and to the Emirate’s sustainable development achievements, which have been put in place to ensure a bright future for current and future generations.Her Excellency Heba Fatani, Director General of RAKGMO, will participate in a keynote panel discussion tomorrow on ‘Nurturing Talent to Stimulate Creativity and Increased Opportunities in an Enhanced Media Ecosystem’ alongside other media leaders, which provides an opportunity to highlight Ras Al Khaimah’s growing contribution to the media landscape.  “Inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ras Al Khaimah is attracting international recognition as a prime destination for living, working and exploring, with its exceptional quality of life, enticing opportunities for business and tourism, and a captivating natural environment at the heart of the narrative,” Ms. Fatani said. “It is our foremost objective to share the Emirate's inspiring stories with the world.”“RAKGMO continues to embrace innovation, creativity and cultural exchange, while celebrating the transformative power of the media to connect and communicate with audiences from around the world,” she continued. “We invite all attendees to visit Ras Al Khaimah’s pavilion, experience the beauty of Ras Al Khaimah, engage with our media experts and discover the exciting opportunities for collaboration and growth that our Emirate offers.”  Ras Al Khaimah Radio Authority Director-General and journalist Mohammed Ghanem Mustafa, hosted ‘The Live Broadcast’ from the pavilion, featuring leading figures from the media sector. It is the first radio show in the UAE to broadcast live across all three days of Global Media Congress.  This year’s Congress focuses on the themes of Sustainability; Innovation and Latest Technologies in Media; Sports Media; Youth, Education and the Future of Media. It offers a prominent platform for media professionals, journalists and industry leaders to connect and collaborate, and serves as a hub for meaningful discussion and networking opportunities that will positively impact and shape the future of the global media landscape.  

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, the first day of the Global Media Congress concluded at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) after a lively series of presentations, panel discussions and keynote speeches that brought together renowned figures from the world of media, communication, and technology.The day began with a keynote speech from H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister for Tolerance and Coexistence, who welcomed the Congress participants to the event and emphasized the media’s power to foster international cooperation, the sharing of essential values and interests, and an appreciation of human achievements across national boundaries.Adding his welcome to that of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan in a further keynote speech, Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director-General of Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee for the Global Media Congress, observed that “our gathering today at this important global event gives us great scope to share ideas on contemporary challenges faced by the media sector along with investment opportunities that to help us advance best professional practices across multiple media sectors. We will also examine how we can build a future media industry that shares knowledge and information in ways that maximize the happiness of peoples and sustain the development of societies.”With the first day of the Congress taking in conjunction with COP28, there was a special focus on the role that the media can play in addressing environmental issues and climate change.Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNEC Group, said: “Today’s sessions affirmed the media’s potential to highlight key environmental and climate change issues and help drive real change to protect global ecosystems. The Global Media Congress is playing a decisive role as a forum for media leaders, creatives and activists to tackle one of the most critical issues faced by this generation and those to come. In keeping with the aspirations of our wise leadership, ADNEC Group remains dedicated to helping innovative ideas flourish and nurturing meaningful industry partnerships."This year’s Congress will also host 5 accompanying features – some being held for the first time – which include the innovation and startups platform with over 24 startups, the training and education feature with more than 30 workshops, the Future Media Labs with elite-level discussions in six closed sessions, the influencer innovation feature with dedicated dialogue sessions, and a new media sessions and round tables feature with experts, speakers, innovators and global media leaders.

 The UAE has risen as a global hub for forecasting the future of the media industry worldwide, after putting in decades-worth of efforts to host and actively contribute to the success of international events and forums in the sector, and be home to the head offices of some of the world’s largest and most prestigious media institutions.Global Media CongressAs it prepares to host the inaugural edition of the Global Media Congress (GMC), which will begin on Tuesday, the UAE is continuing to add success stories to its track record and expanding its pivotal role in reshaping the contemporary media landscape and nipping future challenges in the bud, through launching a series of annual global events and platforms for boosting knowledge and experience exchange and international cooperation.Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, the GMC, a first-of-its-kind event in the region, will see industry decision-makers, thought leaders, experts, and specialists come together from around the world to shape the sector’s future.Serving as a global ‘brainstorming space’, the Congress will feature over 1,200 professionals, specialists and influencers representing 6 continents, across more than 30 panel discussions and a series of workshops, offering insights from over 162 prominent international speakers, as well as showcases presented by over 170 prominent media outlets and companies representing 29 countries.The Global Media Congress, which is organised by ADNEC Group in partnership with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), comprises a conference and exhibition, providing opportunities for various media institutions to discuss partnerships and cooperation in promoting for developing the media landscape to better serve humanity and drive prosperity worldwide through offering rich, highly credible and entertaining content.Holding the event in the capital, Abu Dhabi, confirms that the UAE’s status as a global mastermind of ambitious initiatives and sustainable solutions to the challenges facing the global media industry, and optimising its capabilities in producing and disseminating top-notch news and media content.Over the past years, international events such as the Arab Media Forum in Dubai, the Abu Dhabi Media Summit, and the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) in Sharjah have contributed to highlighting the influential role that the UAE plays in crystalising the future of media in all its forms, as well as the success of the country's media zones in luring in the most important and prestigious media institutions in the world, enabling them to operate and innovate at the highest levels.Arab Media ForumLast month, the Arab Media Forum, hosted annually by Dubai, celebrated the 20th anniversary of its inception, during which it emerged as a valuable and effective dialogue platform focused on analysing the situation of media on the Arab arena and its connection to the surrounding transformations at the regional and international levels. It also contributed to advancing the development of Arabic media, starting from the UAE.The report “A Look at Arab Media” was one of the most important contributions that the Forum served in advancing the media development process in the region, due to the large number of facts and figures it contained, which constituted an important and comprehensive professional reference for all parties concerned with media in the Arab region.The Forum Awards, with its three themes, “Arab Journalism Award”, “TV Award” and “Digital Media Award”, each of which includes independent categories with a total of 13 categories, in addition to the “Media Personality of the Year” award, played a prominent role in stimulating excellence and creativity.IGCFThe International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), one of the initiatives organised annually by the Sharjah Government Media Office, is the region’s largest gathering concerned with discussing global best practices in government communication.The forum is keen to develop a reliable platform for dialogue on the best methods used in global government communication, in order to improve government performance and methods of communication between governments and the public.Since its first session in 2012, the Forum has succeeded in building a new intellectual system for the benefit of government institutions and workers in the communication sector, not only in the UAE and the Arab region, but also at the global arena.Abu Dhabi Media SummitThe Abu Dhabi Media Summit, whose first edition was held in March 2010, was an unprecedented gathering of eminent personalities and pioneering companies leading the transition to a new, fully connected world.The event featured a unique blend of plenary sessions and private discussions, in the presence of major global leaders in the media sector alongside their peers in emerging markets.The summit focused on the most prominent trends in the regional and global media industry, and how to take advantage of the opportunities that have emerged in the digital age, among other topics, in the presence of many international pioneers of media, digital content and innovation.Media Cities and ZonesMedia cities in the UAE have succeeded in attracting local, regional and international media project owners, encouraging them to establish headquarters in the country, and to contribute to providing technical innovations and experiences in various forms of visual, audio, print and digital content.The country includes several free media zones that provide invigorating advantages for investors in the field of media, including full ownership, a tax-free environment, ease of registration and high-level establishment services.