March 18, 2021

UAE’s early recognition of the importance of digital transformation helped it adapt to COVID-19 repercussions, says Mona Al Marri

Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office today said that the UAE’s early recognition of the importance of transitioning to a digital environment enabled it to rapidly adapt to the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on its clear understanding of the long-term value and benefits of digital transformation, the country adopted an integrated strategy to rapidly achieve comprehensive digitisation across sectors.

Government organisations have been proactive in implementing initiatives to raise the UAE’s competitive edge in digitisation. The country’s digitisation plans were significantly accelerated as part of adapting to the impact of the pandemic, Her Excellency said.

Al-Marri’s expressed these remarks at a Forum titled ‘Arab Media During and After the Coronavirus Pandemic’ organised remotely today by Bahrain’s Dar Al-Bilad Foundation for Journalism, Publishing and Distribution. Dignitaries that participated in the event included leaders in the Arab media sector including His Excellency Ali bin Mohammed Al Rumaihi the Minister of Information Affairs, Bahrain, His Excellency Osama Heikal, Minister of Information Affairs, Egypt; His Excellency Nabil Al-Hamar, Adviser to the King of Bahrain for Media Affairs, and Egyptian media expert Imad El Din Adeeb. Also attending were writers, media professionals and officials of media institutions and government organisations as well as academia from the Arab world.

Her Excellency noted that the UAE's digital preparedness played an instrumental role in its success in effectively mitigating the wide-ranging repercussions of the pandemic, which brought about paradigm shifts in all spheres of human life.

Her Excellency Mona Al Marri spoke about how the pandemic has fundamentally changed the way people communicate across the world in addition to the shifts it has brought about in the world of media. Technology has collapsed time and space, fast tracking developments that were expected to happen only in the next ten years, she noted.

This year’s Arab Media Forum organised remotely by the Dubai Press Club is another example of this transformation, Her Excellency said. While previous average attendance at the annual forum ranged between 2,000 and 3,000, the first remote edition of the event in 2020 had over 10,000 followers from different parts of the world.

Her Excellency stressed that media organisations that do not accelerate their digital transformation will face threats to their competitiveness, especially in today’s rapidly evolving environment. However, she cautioned that despite the significant advantages of a digital environment, it provides a fertile environment for rumours, fake news and disinformation, which media need to guard against. Her Excellency concluded her speech by stressing the importance of raising the Arab media sector’s preparedness to adapt and thrive in a post-COVID-19 world.