Sultan Bin Ahmed Attends Media Strategies Launch Ceremony

SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Jan, 2025) H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, attended the launch ceremony of the strategies of the media entities affiliated with the Sharjah Media Council.

This comes within the framework of the project to update the strategies of the media entities to enhance integration and cooperation within a unified vision emanating from the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

In a speech he delivered at the ceremony, His Highness the Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council addressed the leaders and officials of the media entities in the emirate, saying, “Today, we stand on the threshold of a new phase in our ambitious media journey, a phase that reflects Sharjah’s cultural identity with a promising future vision. We did not expect the extent of the achievements until we saw the outcomes, and here are the numbers speaking to reflect the extent of the effort and work you have put in.”

He added, "What distinguishes this phase is that the strategy was not just a plan that was developed behind closed doors, but rather it was the result of joint work with our strategic partners, who are the employees of our institutions, who formed the cornerstone of the journey of media excellence. We have said time and again that excellence is a decision, and the beginning of excellence is the existence of a clear strategy that supports the development of the media sector. This strategy is not just a document, but rather an enlightened vision that charts the path for us towards the future."

The Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council touched on the role of the authorities in facing the media challenges in the emirate, saying, “There are many challenges facing us in the media sector, and our role today is to enhance integration in media work by anticipating the future and identifying the challenges that we may face in light of the ongoing changes. I present to you the media challenges that require facing a changing future with confidence, efficiency and flexibility.”

H.H. Sheikh Sultanreviewed the challenges facing media institutions, starting with “foreseeing the future of media dealing with crises” to ensure a rapid and effective response to various challenges. The second challenge is “attracting investors in the media field and diversifying sources of income” to support the sustainability of media initiatives. The third challenge is “integration between media institutions in implementing projects” to benefit from available resources to achieve maximum effectiveness. The fourth challenge is “media innovation and digital transformation” to enhance the position in the evolving media landscape.

The Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council concluded his speech by stressing that strategic work is not an intellectual luxury, but rather a fundamental pillar for achieving institutional goals. He called on leaders and teams to work together to make the strategy a tangible reality, not just ink on paper, and to be a guide and mentor in the institutions’ journey towards achieving institutional excellence.

H.H. Sheikh Sultan stressed the importance of these efforts in providing distinguished media content that reflects the emirate’s vision, and pointed out that these plans will contribute to strengthening Sharjah’s position as a leading media platform.

he thanked everyone who worked on formulating the strategy, wishing everyone success towards excellence and leadership.

The launch ceremony, which was held at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre, began with the UAE national anthem. H.H. Sheikh Sultan and the attendees watched a video clip that covered the efforts made in the project to update the strategy of the media entities under the Sharjah Media Council.

Hessa Abdullah Al Hammadi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Sharjah Media Council, delivered an opening speech in which she praised the ambitious thinking and vision that contributed to unifying the efforts of the media entities in the emirate of Sharjah, stressing that the launch of the media strategy represents a new step and Sharjah’s commitment to building responsible media that reflects the Emirati identity, inspires society and addresses the world with a renewed, modern vision.

The project included important outputs, most notably: analysing and studying more than 100 files, developing 20 main strategic objectives and 32 sub-strategic objectives, preparing 16 benchmarks for strategic axes and objectives, in addition to formulating 24 proposals for the vision and mission, choosing the most appropriate ones through specialised questionnaires, developing 97 strategic performance indicators, and designing 4 comprehensive strategic maps.

H.H. Sheikh Sultan and the attendees also watched a presentation that included the strategies of the media institutions under the Sharjah Media Council, which expressed the integration and interconnectedness between the entities to advance the ambition of the media sector in the emirate of Sharjah and keep pace with the changes of the era and to have a promising future in the media field.

In the coming period, the media entities will begin translating these strategies into operational plans that include innovative projects and initiatives, operational performance indicators, and issuing periodic performance reports that will be presented at the meetings of the Sharjah Media Council.

During the ceremony, H.H. Sheikh Sultan also followed the accompanying workshops and brainstorming activity of the working teams that were formed with the aim of developing solutions and proposals for the four challenges for the future of media, which he raised during his speech at the ceremony.

After the teams finished the activity, each team presented an explanation about the results of the initiatives and proposed projects for the challenges raised.

Prior to the opening ceremony, The Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council watched the activities accompanying the launch of the strategies and concerned with the future of media in the emirate of Sharjah, and he wrote in the corner of the wall, the future of media in the Emirate of Sharjah.

The ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, Mohamed Hassan Khalaf, Director-General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, Tariq Saeed Allay, Director-General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of the Sharjah Media Council, Rashid Abdullah Al Obaid, Director of Sharjah Media City (Shams), Salem Ali Al Ghaithi, Director of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, Alia Bu Ghanem Al Suwaidi, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, and a number of officials from media entities in the emirate of Sharjah.