NMC meet explores prospects of developing local media content

ABU DHABI / WAM

The National Media Council (NMC’s), Board of Directors has underlined the importance of developing local media content production to achieve the National Agenda 2021 and the UAE Centennial 2071 Plan, at its meeting, chaired by Dr Sultan bin Ahmad Al Jaber, Minister of State and NMC Chairman.
Present at the meeting were Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development and Chairwoman of Abu Dhabi’s Media Zone Authority; Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Jarman, Assistant Minister of Foreign and International Cooperation for Political Affairs; Malek Al Malek, Group CEO of TECOM Group; Moza Al Hameli, Director of Institutional Development Department at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs; and Mansour Ibrahim Al Mansouri, NMC Director-General.
The council explored experiences from other countries that have successfully developed their local content production capabilities, examining the various means of publishing and broadcasting. The council members emphasised the importance of developing local content to promote the UAE media industry and preserve the national identity.
They also looked back onto its ‘Future of Media’ retreat and the resulting ‘Future Media Makers’ initiative, which seek to develop and promote the country’s media sector, as the NMC announced it would form a plan of action to transform the various ideas and suggestions into practical policies where all media stakeholders can contribute.
Dr Al Jaber said, “Continuously promoting the advanced position that the UAE has achieved, guided by the vision of our wise leadership, is a top priority of the media sector.”
Premium content is an essential ingredient for enabling the media to play its role in achieving the UAE’s strategic objectives.
We, at the National Media Council, are always working to develop policies and provide support to ensure the continuous growth and development of local content in UAE.”
He reaffirmed that the NMC is currently implementing measures to carry out and monitor the Future Media Makers initiative, which will eventually cover all aspects, requirements and objectives of the UAE media sector.
The meeting showcased the NMC’s most significant recent achievements, where major developments took place in the media sector’s regulatory and legislative environment. Most notable was the issuance of media licensing and content regulations, as well as the electronic media regulations, and the age classification system, in addition to the formation of the Youth Media Council. They also reviewed the latest preparations for the UAE pavilion at Expo 2020.
The Council discussed the adoption of the Public Service Charter, which seeks to provide competitive media content that interacts with the UAE issues in a comprehensive and professional manner. The charter commits to the highest standards of objectivity, transparency and integrity.
Concluding the meeting, the board discussed the most important initiatives and development projects for the forthcoming year, which have been formulated to enable the NMC to continue achieving its strategic objectives.