ABU DHABI, 5th September, 2023 (WAM) — The Emirates News Agency (WAM) today organised a brainstorming session with a select group of sports officials and decision-makers in the country, as well as prominent sports media figures and influencers.
The session aimed to generate ideas and outcomes that can be used as titles for general sessions and workshops on the day dedicated to sports media at the Global Media Congress (GMC).
The second edition of the congress will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, in November.
During the session, Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director-General of WAM, welcomed the participating sports councils, media institutions, sports media stars, and influencers, stressing that all national sports and media institutions should acknowledge their partnership with WAM in organising the international event.
Allocating a day at the GMC to discuss issues and challenges affecting sports and its future confirms its importance as a sector connected to the masses and various segments of society and its influence in shaping the culture of generations.
Al Rayssi stressed that WAM has recently succeeded in establishing international partnerships with more than 120 agencies, television stations, and media institutions in various countries and has placed all its capabilities at the service of the national sports sector, helping to bring exceptional sporting experiences and inspiring local success stories to all continents of the world, by translating them into different languages and sharing them with partners in all countries, in addition to highlighting the major sporting events hosted by the country.
Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), and Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), as well as Suheil Al Arifi, Adel Saleh Al Hammadi, and several senior media figures, contributed to enriching the session with their important opinions on three main axes, which are the leading current issues and challenges facing sports media, sports as soft power for the country beyond its borders, and the impact of modern technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of sports media.
The session was moderated by Abdullah Abdulkareem, Acting Executive Director for the News Content Sector at WAM, who confirmed that the outcomes of the extensive discussions are being compiled and will be presented to the GMC’s Higher Organising Committee so they can be included in the discussions of the sessions and workshops held on the day dedicated to sports media.
The attendees affirmed their full readiness to provide all support to the organisers of the GMC to ensure its success and deliver added value that enhances the achievements of the first edition held last year.
The attendees also called for this session to serve as just the beginning of more sessions and workshops organised by WAM to further develop the outcomes of the sports media scene in the country and the region.