The Organizing Committee of the Arab Media Summit 2026, which will take place from September 15 to 17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, has announced the participation of Arab media ministers from Bahrain, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.
This year’s summit is expected to be the largest edition in the event’s history, with the participation of His Excellency Dr. Ramzan bin Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Minister of Information of the Kingdom of Bahrain; His Excellency Dr. Khaled Zaarour, Minister of Information of the Syrian Arab Republic; His Excellency Paul Morcos, Minister of Information of the Lebanese Republic; His Excellency Diaa Rashwan, Minister of State for Information of the Arab Republic of Egypt; and His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Al Momani, Minister of Government Communication of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The ministerial participation takes on particular importance at a time when the region and the world are witnessing rapid geopolitical and economic changes, alongside major shifts in the media industry driven by modern technology, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms.
Arab Dialogue on New Media Challenges
On this occasion, Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council and Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the Arab Media Summit, welcomed the participation of Arab media ministers in the summit.
Her Excellency said: “We are proud that the Arab Media Summit this year brings together Arab media ministers, in a presence that reflects the importance of having decision-makers at the heart of the dialogue on the future of this industry. The transformations taking place in media today are no longer limited to media institutions alone, but have become linked to the ability of our societies to protect awareness, strengthen trust, and build a more influential Arab presence in a highly competitive global media landscape.”
Her Excellency added: “Our region is going through a phase that requires Arab media to be more aware of the changes taking place and more capable of interpreting them, rather than merely reporting them. Today, we need a serious Arab dialogue on how media can become a partner in stability and development, and how it can present the region’s narrative from within, in its own language, values, and aspirations, while adhering to professional standards capable of earning public trust and competing globally.”
This vision reflects the importance of developing the role of Arab media in line with the speed of current transformations and highlights the need to move beyond simply reporting events toward analyzing and explaining them in a professional context that helps audiences better understand the developments around them.
Media as a Partner in Development and Stability
The Arab Media Summit 2026 will highlight the growing role of media in supporting stability and development, as well as its responsibility in building public awareness, strengthening trust, and presenting a more accurate image of Arab societies.
The importance of this role continues to increase with the expanding influence of digital media and the rapid flow of information across various platforms, placing greater responsibility on media organizations to develop their tools, improve content quality, and maintain professional standards and credibility.
The summit will also provide an important platform to discuss how an Arab narrative can be presented from within the region, reflecting its values and aspirations while remaining capable of competing and making an impact in the global media landscape.
Strengthening Cooperation Among Arab Media Organizations
For her part, Maryam Al Mulla, Director of the Dubai Press Club, said that the diversity of Arab participation in the summit reflects the broad scope of dialogue the event seeks to establish.
She said: “As the organizing body of this event, we have been keen to ensure that the summit brings together influential voices from media decision-making circles and to present a dialogue that goes beyond the boundaries of Arab experiences toward a broader understanding of the transformations taking place in media globally.”
The Director of the Dubai Press Club added: “The gathering of this number of Arab media ministers at the Arab Media Summit 2026 sends a message that underscores the growing need to strengthen dialogue, cooperation, and the exchange of expertise among institutions and entities concerned with the sector, at a time when challenges have become cross-border in nature and cannot be addressed from an individual Arab perspective.”
This broad ministerial participation reflects the importance of expanding cooperation among Arab media organizations, particularly as many of the challenges facing the sector are shared across different countries, whether in relation to technological development, changing patterns of content consumption, or the need to strengthen public trust.
More Than 10,000 Participants and 400 Speakers
This year, the summit will host more than 200 prominent media and intellectual figures and leaders from outside the UAE, alongside editors-in-chief, senior executives from media organizations, content creators, influencers, media technology experts, and academics.
Around 10,000 media professionals and stakeholders from across the Arab world are also expected to participate, reflecting the event’s position as one of the region’s leading media platforms.
More than 400 speakers from the Arab region and around the world are set to take part in over 175 panel discussions and dialogue sessions, presenting diverse perspectives and experiences while exploring the future of different media sectors.
These sessions will address a wide range of topics related to media, content creation, emerging technologies, and artificial intelligence, as well as the transformations reshaping the relationship between media outlets and their audiences.
