Latifa bint Mohammed: We need media that leads the content industry with cultural depth

Emirates 24/7

2 days ago

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, attended the Arab Media Summit 2025, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
This year's edition, , organised by the Dubai Press Club, held from 26 to 28 May, convened a distinguished gathering of prominent ministers, industry leaders, content creators, and influencers from across the UAE and the Arab world. During the event, Her Highness delivered a powerful keynote speech under the theme 'The Role of Media in the Age of Algorithms.'
In her address, Her Highness underscored that we are navigating a critical juncture—where media intersects with digital transformation, where the rules of communication and influence are being redefined, and where the roles of institutions and individuals are undergoing rapid shifts. She stressed the importance of pausing to reflect on urgent questions: What kind of media do we want? What defines true influence? And how can we protect our societies from digital disorder without isolating them from innovation?
Her Highness affirmed that algorithms and artificial intelligence are tools of our own making, powerful yet controllable: 'Algorithms and artificial intelligence are tools we have created whose keys remain in our hands. It is we who breathe life into them, define their purpose, and shape their outcomes.'
She went on to describe the evolving nature of our world, no longer defined by borders or geography but shaped by algorithms that determine our exposure to content and connection to communities. In this digital era, identity is increasingly anchored in ideas, affiliations, and shared values rather than location or nationality. These emerging digital communities have become spaces for dialogue, expression, and influence, offering people visibility and belonging, especially those previously marginalised by mainstream narratives.
Her Highness remarked that we have moved beyond the age of centralised media into an era of decentralised content, where every individual can become a media outlet in their own right. With countless sources and fragmented facts, the responsibility of media has expanded—and so must our standards of trust and integrity.
A Parallel Reality
Her Highness further highlighted that digital communities have evolved into a parallel reality, shaping identities, relationships, and decisions in ways that often rival, or even surpass, our physical environments. She shared compelling statistics to illustrate this shift: with the global population expected to exceed 8 billion in 2025, over 5 billion are now active social media users, representing nearly 65% of humanity. In the last year alone, 241 million new users joined, at a rate of roughly 660,000 per day. These numbers, she noted, reflect more than just growth; they signal a profound transformation in how we experience the world.
Through vivid examples, Her Highness described this new global connectivity: a young anime fan in the UAE finds a connection with peers in Tokyo. A teenager in the Netherlands feels closest to a football star in Brazil. A student in Britain shares his story of overcoming bullying, and his voice resonates from Egypt to Lebanon, Australia to Jordan, all connected through a global network that transcends borders and continents, discovering in this new form of belonging a sense of connection that often feels deeper, and perhaps even more authentic, than their ties to the physical places they call home.
Her Highness concluded this section by affirming that digital communities are not merely gatherings but evolving cultures and ecosystems reshaping communication, loyalty, and identity.
She said in this regard: 'I speak to you today as a participant in this evolving landscape. In Dubai, we've long believed in the power of storytelling and the necessity of cultural dialogue, and now, as we navigate this digital frontier, I see our youth building bridges across continents. A young anime fan in the UAE finds a connection with peers in Tokyo. A teenager in the Netherlands feels closest to a football star in Brazil. A student in Britain shares his story of overcoming bullying, and his voice resonates from Egypt to Lebanon, Australia to Jordan, all connected through a global network that transcends borders and continents, discovering in this new form of belonging a sense of connection that often feels deeper, and perhaps even more authentic, than their ties to the physical places they call home.'
Her Highness noted that today's influencers have played a significant role in shaping public awareness and have become part of the cultural memory of our time. Their ability to reach audiences swiftly and directly has positioned them as new voices of influence that increasingly compete with traditional media in guiding public opinion, shaping behaviours, and setting social trends.
Media and Digital Communities
Against this backdrop of rapid transformation, Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum called for a reexamination of the media's evolving role and its relationship with the public. 'How can the media meaningfully engage with the millions of digital communities emerging across platforms? And how can it understand, communicate with, and reflect the new identities shaped by algorithms?' she asked.
Her Highness emphasised that the media must remain anchored in its core responsibility as a guide and trusted source even amid technological disruption. She underscored the ethical and professional imperative to verify information, counter misinformation, and offer content that is credible, inclusive, and rooted in truth.
Her Highness addressed media institutions: 'The media need not compete with influencers in a race for trends. Its true role lies in creating meaning, rebuilding trust, and offering a deeper human story in a way that would rise above the tide of fleeting, fast-paced content to leave a lasting impact.'
She emphasised the importance of the media embracing the digital era while remaining anchored in the authenticity of its values. The media must go beyond reporting — it must interpret facts, translate ideas, and promote understanding rooted in shared human values, not deepen divisions. In doing so, it can reclaim its place as a conscious and responsible narrator—one defined by integrity, authenticity, and openness.
Her Highness also urged the public to view digital communities not as threats but as opportunities to build bridges, foster dialogue, and create meaningful, value-driven content. She stressed that in today's world, we urgently need to spread messages of hope, goodness, and optimism. 'This is the true calling of the media,' she said, 'to serve as a source of inspiration, a voice of hope, and a light that guides us towards a brighter, more compassionate, and promising future.'
She addressed the influencers: 'You are not simply entertainers or trendsetters. You are storytellers of your generation. You are shaping the tone of public discourse, the values we promote, and the ideas we carry forward. Use that power with intention. Let your content uplift, inform, and inspire. And know that we the media need not compete with influencers in a race for trends. Its true role lies in creating meaning, rebuilding trust, and offering a deeper human story in a way that would rise above the tide of fleeting, fast-paced content to leave a lasting impact.'
A New Media Discourse
Her Highness called on media institutions, influencers, and opinion leaders to come together to shape a new media discourse grounded in responsibility, guided by awareness, and anchored in ethical and professional standards.
In her closing remarks, Her Highness emphasised that digital communities are a natural extension of human connection born from a universal need to build bonds, exchange ideas, and engage meaningfully. She called on all participants to build on the momentum of this summit and strive for more ambitious, far-reaching goals: to invest in social media as a force for good and to cultivate positive, engaged communities, both physical and virtual, that transcend borders and bring us closer to our shared human aspirations.
As a step toward this vision, Her Highness launched a new hashtag during the session —#YourContentYourImpact — as a collective call to leave a meaningful digital footprint that reflects our values, amplifies our impact, and honours the spirit of this gathering.
She said, 'This hashtag is more than a digital symbol; it is a thread that connects us wherever we are. It reflects our awareness, our values, and the principles we hold dear. It captures our collective aspiration to create and share content that uplifts, inspires, and leaves a meaningful mark. And finally, it is a call to pause, reflect, and take responsibility before we publish.' Her Highness pointed out that #YourContentYourImpact' is not just a hashtag or a slogan but rather a message to all of us to examine ourselves before publishing any content and a pledge to harness our voices and digital presence to bring about change and positive impact in our lives and communities, to be beacons of goodness and hope for all.'
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