DUBAI, 25th September, 2023 (WAM) – In a series of dialogues held at the inaugural Youth Media Forum, organised by the Dubai Press Club today, leading lights of the Arab media and film sectors explored the future of content in the ever-evolving digital world. The discussions delved into topics like how the integration of new media can enhance the quality of content in the region and how Arab films can gain international recognition.
In a session titled ‘What Will It Take for an Arab Film to Win an Oscar?’, Arab filmmakers outlined the crucial need for content to portray the region's reality, customs, traditions and lifestyle accurately. Moderated by renowned Emirati film producer Buthaina Kazim, founder of Cinema Akil, the session featured an insightful discussion with director and producer Abdullah Boushehri and Emirati director and producer Nahla Al Fahad. Participants emphasised the significance of effective advertising and media marketing in achieving international acclaim and prestigious awards like the Oscars.
Ali Jaber, Dean of the Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at the American University in Dubai, highlighted the boom in drama production in the Arab world. He attributed this rise to digital platforms such as Shahid, Netflix and Amazon that have transformed the production landscape. Jaber noted that platforms like Shahid and Netflix have made substantial investments to boost their competitive advantage and expand their subscriber base, with production costs for a single episode seeing an exponential rise to $500,000.
Founder and Chairman of Al Sayegh Media Group, Abdullatif Al Sayegh shared his experiences on seeing through a transition from government media to the private sector when he established a successful firm amid the global financial crisis in 2010. He credited his success to a competent team and clear strategising, emphasising that the team is always key to the success of leadership.
Another session addressed the synergy between social media and traditional media platforms for promoting business ideas. Mohammad Al Sahlawi, Co-founder of Flat 12; Khalifa Al Muhairi, Entrepreneur; Hessa AlJessmi, Co-founder of DubaiFoodBabes; and Deenah Al Hashemi, Founder & CEO of Sxill Lab, engaged in discussions moderated by Shaima Al Suwaidi, Director of Brand Dubai. They noted that the quality of content used to convey messages to the target audience is key to promoting their businesses and sharing their success stories.
Al Suwaidi said that the session formed part of Brand Dubai’s efforts to support members of its ‘Proudly from Dubai’ initiative, which aims to tell the success stories of innovative businesses that were born and initiated in Dubai.
In a session titled ‘New Generation / Old Generation’, writer Dr. Mohammed Al Nughaimish talked about the media streams favoured by different generations. Generation X, for instance, exhibited varied preferences including traditional media like newspapers, television and radio as well as books. In contrast, the current generation predominantly regards social media as their primary source of information and news, he noted.
The session, moderated by content creator Ahmed Al Marzouqi, also discussed the role of print media in enhancing content on social media platforms and how renowned media institutions are using Artificial Intelligence to enhance their content creation processes.