January 12, 2020
Dubai Press Club celebrates its 20th anniversary with week-long activities
The Dubai Press Club (DPC) today commenced a series of events and media activities organised to mark its 20th anniversary. The week-long celebrations also coincide with a ceremony to hand over the trophy for the title of “Capital of Arab Media 2020” to Dubai.
The city was selected as the Capital of Arab Media for 2020 by the Arab Information Ministers Council at its 50th session held in Cairo in July 2019. The title acknowledges the vital role that Dubai has played in the growth of the Arab media industry and its emergence as one of the world’s leading media hubs.
Dubai Press Club, established in 1999 under the patronage of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has played an instrumental role in Dubai’s selection as the Capital of Arab Media for 2020.
Over the last two decades, DPC has served as a platform for journalists and media professionals from across the region to exchange knowledge and ideas. It has also played a significant role in supporting media industry development locally, regionally and internationally.
The handover ceremony will be part of a series of celebrations to be organised by DPC in the next 12 months to mark Dubai’s selection as the Capital of Arab Media for 2020. Dubai Press Club will launch several initiatives, projects and programmes to highlight Dubai’s position as a leading regional and global media hub.
As part of the week-long events being held to mark its 20th anniversary, the Dubai Press Club, in partnership with the Secretariat General of the Arab League and Watani Al Emarat Foundation, is hosting the meetings of the Secretariat General of the Arab League.
The gathering, which commenced on Sunday, features the meetings of the Arab Electronic Media Committee, the 94th ordinary session of the Standing Committee for Arab Media, the 12th regular session of the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Information Ministers, in addition to other activities which will form part of the main celebrations scheduled for 15 January at DPC’s new premises.
Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, President of the Dubai Press Club (DPC), said: “Over the last 20 years, the Dubai Press Club has made significant contributions to implement the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who was the driving force behind the formation of DPC. His Highness established the Dubai Press Club for bringing together media professionals from across the region and the world, creating a vibrant network of industry leaders and developing a platform for new initiatives aimed at advancing the region’s media so that it can play a greater role in the Arab world’s progress.”
HE Al Marri added: “Inspired by the vision and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai Press Club has strived tirelessly to contribute to the region’s media development.”
Her Excellency welcomed the participants of the meetings of the Secretariat General of the Arab League and other specialised committees holding their meetings at DPC.
Salem Balyouha, Acting Director of the Dubai Press Club, said that DPC is set to enter a new growth phase with a fresh business strategy designed to take advantage of the latest developments in the global media landscape. “The Dubai Press Club will continue to draw its inspiration from the future vision of Dubai and its leadership. We are committed to supporting the sector’s growth and developing the country’s young media talent by providing exceptional learning opportunities throughout the year,” he added.
As a centre dedicated to promoting and developing regional media, the Dubai Press Club has launched several path-breaking initiatives in the last two decades to foster industry excellence and dialogue. Key among them are the Arab Media Forum (AMF), the region’s largest media gathering; the Arab Journalism Award (AJA); the Emirati Media Forum (EMF); and the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit (ASMIS).
