Kuwait city: The Arab Media Excellence Award Committee kicked off its 10th session under Kuwait's leadership, which is sponsoring the award, to evaluate its content and discuss proposals for developing its categories across print, television, radio, and digital media. Director of Al-Arabiya Channel at Kuwait Television (KTV) Talal Al-Haifi opened the meeting, emphasizing that the award reflects a collective Arab ambition to elevate media standards and encourage creators who handle words and images with professionalism.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Al-Haifi highlighted the belief in joint Arab media as a crucial soft power tool that unites Arab people and promotes their identity globally. Kuwait's Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, is paying special attention to the meeting, underscoring the significance of joint Arab media efforts in enhancing cooperation among Arab states. The session is being overseen by Assistant Undersecretary for Radio and Television Sector at the Ministry of Information, Turki Al-Mutairi, and Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services, Salem Al-Watyan.
Al-Haifi explained that the committee's role extends beyond organization to setting benchmarks for creativity and professionalism, expressing hope for productive discussions that enhance the award's value and impact. Arab League Assistant Secretary General and Head of the Media and Communication Sector, Ambassador Ahmad Khattabi, praised Kuwait's support and sponsorship of the award under the Arab League. The committee meeting provides an opportunity to exchange views on improving the award's performance and institutional framework.
Khattabi elaborated that the award serves as a strategic tool to raise professional standards, encourage quality and innovation, and highlight distinguished media models across platforms, particularly focusing on issues related to people and development, especially youth and vulnerable groups. Proposals include setting up a board of trustees comprising experienced media figures, overseen by the Arab League General Secretariat and Kuwait, to enhance quality, transparency, and credibility. The award's rules mandate that submitted works avoid meddling in member states' internal matters, refrain from inciting political disputes, and uphold societal values and beliefs in line with the media code of ethics.
Recent additions to the award's fields include digital transformation and the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) due to their growing impact on media ethics and content production. Khattabi called for the responsible use of AI to support development and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The meeting is also addressing the award's theme and titles, selecting the category for the 10th edition, agreeing on the content of the 10th edition announcement, and reviewing development proposals.