Compiled by Mohammad Tarique Saleem
The Arab Media Excellence Award Committee, under the leadership of its Chairman, Hamad Al-Badri, representing the State of Kuwait, reaffirmed its commitment to fostering media content that strengthens the collective Arab media landscape. In a meeting held at the Arab League’s headquarters on April 22, Al-Badri emphasized the committee’s dedication to promoting media materials that contribute positively to Arab media collaboration.
Al-Badri highlighted Kuwait’s presidency of the committee as a testament to its dedication to raising media awareness among Arab audiences. He stressed that the award was established to incentivize media professionals to produce constructive content that serves the interests of the Arab world. With Kuwait’s financial backing of the award, Al-Badri underscored the importance of recognizing and supporting meaningful media production across various formats be it written, audio, or visual. He emphasized the role of such media in addressing Arab issues and advancing collective Arab action.
The Chairman elaborated on the award’s categories, which span ten different areas. This year, the committee has expanded its focus to include “crisis, disaster, and risk media,” reflecting the pressing challenges facing the Arab region. Al-Badri pointed to ongoing crises such as the Israeli occupation’s aggression against Gaza and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in occupied Arab territories as driving factors behind this expansion.
Al-Badri revealed that the committee received a total of 100 submissions across the award’s various categories from member states. The upcoming meeting of the committee will center on reviewing these submissions to ensure they meet the award’s criteria for excellence. The announcement of the award winners is slated to take place during the 54th session of the Council of Arab Information Ministers. Al-Badri expressed optimism that the award would help showcase outstanding media pieces that contribute to the advancement of Arab media standards.
Apart from Kuwait, the committee comprises representatives from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, and Morocco. The Arab Media Excellence Award was launched by the General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Information Ministers in 2015 to coincide with Arab Media Day, celebrated annually on April 21. In essence, the Arab Media Excellence Award stands as a testament to the collective efforts of Arab nations to recognize and promote outstanding media contributions, ultimately aiming to elevate the quality and impact of Arab media content.
