Arab Media Forum panels highlight power of human stories, AI risks

Al Etihad

28-05-2025

28 May 2025 09:59
DUBAI (WAM) A session titled "City of Stories" was held on the second day of the Film and Gaming Forum, organised by the Dubai Films and Games Commission under the umbrella of the Dubai Media Council, as part of the Arab Media Summit 2025.The session brought together Emirati filmmaker Ali Mostafa. It was moderated by Ahmad Abdullah, Director of Dubai TV Channel, for an engaging discussion attended by a wide audience of directors, content creators, and professionals from the film and digital gaming sectors.A teaser for City of Life Continuum, the sequel to Ali Mostafa's groundbreaking 2009 debut The City of Life, was screened yesterday at the Arab Media Summit. The original film marked a milestone in UAE cinema as the first local production to achieve box office success, coinciding with the country's early efforts to establish a domestic film and TV sector.During the session, Mostafa said Dubai remains full of untold stories, and that only Emirati directors can truly portray the city's soul and diversity. 'We know our traditions, and if a foreigner wants to do an Emirati film, we should be the ones doing it—of course, depending on the story,' he said.The session discussed the City of Life Continuum, a sequel to The City of Life, which aimed to showcase Dubai's soul and diversity.The director stressed the importance of practical experience over theoretical knowledge in cinema and hinted at potential future projects, including a series leveraging the strong brand name The City of Life.Mostafa hinted at doing part three of the movie. However, he said, 'Even if I don't do part three, I could make a series. I could make a series of 10 episodes, with each episode featuring 10 different nationalities and how they lead a life in Dubai.'Another session at the forum, titled "The Rise of Drama in the Digital Age", examined how Arab drama is adapting to the digital era. Moderated by Al Arabiya's Sarah Dandrawi, the panel featured Egyptian director Mohamed Sami; Tariq Al Ibrahim, Director of MBCI and MBC Drama, and Content Director at Shahid; and Ahmed Qandil, Director of Direct to Consumer Business at Shahid.The panellists agreed that while technology is reshaping how stories are produced and consumed, human stories rooted in social reality remain its most powerful and enduring asset.Mohamed Sami said that while platforms have changed how viewers watch content, the foundations of successful drama remain the same. 'The Arab world loves human stories—dramas that reflect family life and social realities,' he said. 'Whether streamed or broadcast, these are the stories that resonate most deeply with audiences.' He added that human stories tend to appeal across national and cultural lines, both regionally and internationally.He emphasised that many of the most successful series on streaming platforms still follow traditional TV storytelling styles, particularly the format associated with Ramadan dramas: emotional arcs, familiar pacing, and accessible themes.'Content or shows that make a success on TV, which cater to a wider family audience, will be successful on digital platforms, but the opposite is not true. Content that is developed for a digital platform might not be successful on TV.'Al Ibrahim seconded that sentiment, noting that digital on-demand platforms offer greater creative freedom than traditional television, which typically caters to the family unit. He explained that platforms enable bolder storytelling and a wider range of topics, thanks to audience segmentation and greater viewer control.Al Ibrahim emphasised that strong writing remains the cornerstone of any successful production, regardless of platform or format. He noted that effective content creation is a holistic process that depends on alignment across all players involved—from writers and directors to data teams, producers, and platform executives.The panellists agreed that creative success relies on this collaborative synergy, with Mohamed Sami describing the production process as 'a chain of trust and collaboration,' united by the shared goal of delivering content that resonates creatively and commercially.Building on that, Qandil stressed the need for regional productions to match international standards in both quality and storytelling to maintain relevance and compete globally.He pointed to the increasing influence of data and audience insights in guiding production choices—from the type and tone of stories to their length and release schedules. 'Today, it's about reading the numbers—understanding what audiences are watching, how long they stay engaged, and what they want more of. That's what shapes our decisions.'
The Secret Weapon The summit also saw a highly anticipated session titled 'AI: Secret Weapon or Your Worst Nightmare?' during the Arab Media Forum received rapt attention from the audience and spotlighted Dubai's and the UAE's renewed efforts to harness the vast potential of the path-breaking technology.The session, held under the auspices of the Dubai Media Council as part of the Arab Media Summit 2025, featured Dr. Marwan Alzarooni, Chief Executive Officer of Artificial Intelligence at Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism; and Hamad Al Shirawi, Director of Projects at Dubai Future Foundation.Right at the outset of the session, Dr. Alzarooni put to rest any guesses on AI's influence across diverse spheres of life, emphatically stating, 'AI is here to stay.'The UAE is taking bold steps to leverage AI, and this marks just a start, he added. On the media scene too, a series of economic initiatives are putting in place a value chain for media content creators, he noted.Dr. Alzarooni said it was never too late to join the AI wave and there were opportunities aplenty to upskill through online content and initiatives in the UAE. The onus was very much on individuals to put it to the best use in every aspect of life. Dubai continues to obtain proof of the value AI brings to various government entities, and sectors such as healthcare, property technology, logistics and sustainable manufacturing are among key focus areas, he added.He also cautioned that the disparity between AI users and non-users would only grow wider with users standing to obtain significantly more granular content at scale.There are industries where the gap between AI users and non-users is already stark, he said, adding that we are heading in the direction of 'vibe coding,' which will see 'one-man startups' effectively carrying out tasks with markedly reduced overheads and payrolls.In turn, Al Shirawi emphasised Dubai's and the UAE's vision to 'embrace' AI. Constantly working alongside public entities to catalogue best use cases involving AI, Dubai is extremely keen to harness the immense possibilities of the technology, he added.He provided the example of Dubai Police and their use of AI to achieve a 300 per cent improvement in solving cases involving lost and found possessions. A mundane task prone to human error had been made immensely easier and with superb outcomes by applying AI, he pointed out.Al Shirawi elaborated that the emphasis in Dubai and the UAE was always to take people along when ushering in change, as in the case of AI. He sought to allay concerns around AI, harking back to the scenario when the internet first came along, triggering massive apprehensions of job losses and economic instabilities, until people eventually adapted.He said it was important to understand challenges and the productivity gains that could be achieved through AI, reaffirming that Dubai was the best place to be where innovation was concerned.He cited the One Million Prompters initiative as an example of this readiness to be the first mover. The concept was to raise the baseline for AI adoption and empower AI experts based on best use cases from various sectors.
In conclusion, Al Shirawi stressed that AI is no longer a secret weapon and has instead become a must-have arrow in everyone's quiver, and it is up to people to capitalise on it. His caveat: deciding not to use it might lead to a nightmare situation.