logo
Winners of 24th Arab Media Award finalised by Board of Directors

Winners of 24th Arab Media Award finalised by Board of Directors

Emirates 24/708-05-2025

The Board of Directors of the Arab Media Award (AMA), held a meeting chaired by Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council and Chairperson of the Award, to finalise the winners of the 24th edition of the award.
During the meeting, held virtually, the board discussed the various stages of the evaluation and screening processes, which followed a comprehensive set of criteria designed to ensure fairness and transparency. The award saw strong competition between media institutions, journalists, and writers in the Arab world.
Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, expressed her appreciation to the board members and all those who contributed to the successful completion of the award's various stages, culminating in the selection of this year's winners. She commended the judging panel and screening committees for their efforts to ensure the selection of the most deserving winners, highlighting the award's continued commitment to integrity and impartiality.
Al Marri noted that the award not only celebrates excellence and encourages creativity but also reflects Dubai's vision of media as a force for human development. She reaffirmed the board's dedication to strengthening the award's impact on Arab media and its role as the region's leading platform for recognising outstanding work.
She added that this year's edition was marked by a high volume and diversity of entries from across the Arab world, all of which were rigorously evaluated by independent, qualified committees.
Dr. Maitha Buhumaid, Secretary-General of the Arab Media Award, emphasised that the award's development is an ongoing process, with regular reviews by its Board of Directors to evolve its structure and categories in line with the fast-changing media landscape. She noted that this reflects the UAE and Dubai's broader commitment to innovation and excellence across all fields.
Jasim Al Shemsi, Director of the Award, said that the winners of the Arab Media Award will be honoured on 27 May on the side-lines of the Arab Media Summit, in a ceremony that will be attended by prominent media personalities and Arab journalists.
The Arab Media Award comprises three categories: Journalism, Digital Media, and TV. The Journalism category includes awards for Political Journalism, Investigative Reporting, and Economic Journalism. The TV category includes awards for Best Economic Programme, Best Social Programme, Best Cultural Programme, Best Sports Programme, and Best Documentary. The 'Media Personality of the Year' award, decided by the Board of Directors, honours an influential Arab media figure whose work has significantly shaped and enriched the media landscape in the region. The 'Best Columnist' award is also determined by the Board, based on a set of defined criteria.
The Arab Media Award is being organised as part of the Arab Media Summit, which will also feature the third Arab Youth Media Forum on 26 May, followed by the 23rd edition of the Arab Media Forum on 27 and 28 May, along with the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit. The Summit includes award ceremonies for the Arab Media Award, the Arab Social Media Influencers Award, and the Ibda'a – Arab Youth Media Award.
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sheikh Hamdan backs private sector growth in UAE space industry
Sheikh Hamdan backs private sector growth in UAE space industry

Gulf Business

time32 minutes ago

  • Gulf Business

Sheikh Hamdan backs private sector growth in UAE space industry

Image: Dubai Media Office Sheikh Hamdan, who also serves as Chairman of the UAE's Supreme Space Council, stressed the importance of long-term investment, innovation, and strategic public-private collaboration in cementing the UAE's position as a global space hub. 'The private sector is leading the space scene in the UAE, reaffirming the maturity of national investments that have been established over the past three decades,' Sheikh Hamdan said. The meeting was part of broader national efforts to support a high-tech, knowledge-driven economy and to position space as a driver of sustainable economic growth. Executives from several UAE-based companies attended the talks, including specialists in satellite imaging, internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence, robotics, and space launch systems. Companies present included 4EI, Oryx Space, Marlan Space, Aspire Space Technology, and Aliensense. Participants shared updates on their commercial strategies, ongoing projects, and plans to expand operations both domestically and internationally. Discussions focused on increasing collaboration with government entities and scaling investment in the country's fast-growing space sector. UAE primed to support private sector involvement in space sector 'The UAE has created a flexible regulatory framework and world-class infrastructure that support sustained private investment,' said Dr Hamdullah Mohib, CEO of Marlan Space. Attendees also praised government initiatives such as the Space Economic Zones Programme, which aims to attract capital, talent, and advanced technology. The meeting was attended by senior officials including Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education and Secretary-General of the Supreme Space Council, alongside startup founders and CEOs from across the UAE. The UAE has rapidly

Emaar gets a credit rating boost after upgrade from both S&P and Moody's
Emaar gets a credit rating boost after upgrade from both S&P and Moody's

Arabian Business

time39 minutes ago

  • Arabian Business

Emaar gets a credit rating boost after upgrade from both S&P and Moody's

S&P Global and Moody's – two of the biggest rating agencies in the world – have acknowledged the strong financial position and revenue visibility of Emaar Properties by upgrading the company's long-term issuer credit ratings. Reinforcing Emaar's position as a financially resilient and strategically agile market leader, S&P Global Ratings upgraded its long-term issuer credit rating to BBB+ from BBB, with a stable outlook, while Moody's upgraded its rating to Baa1 from Baa2, also with a stable outlook. The S&P and Moody's rating upgrade also applies to Emaar's senior unsecured debt. Strong financials drive Emaar rating upgrades As of March 2025, the property developer reported a revenue backlog of approximately AED 127 billion (US$34.6 billion), providing strong revenue and cash flow visibility through 2028. The company's recurring income portfolio continues to expand, supported by disciplined execution and operations. Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Emaar, commented: 'We are proud to receive this recognition from both S&P and Moody's, which underscores the strength of our strategy, the quality of our assets, and the discipline we maintain in financial management. 'These upgrades reflect not only our performance, but also the confidence in Dubai's economy and real estate market. We will continue to pursue sustainable growth, innovation, and value creation for our shareholders and stakeholders alike.' In its upgrade rationale, S&P Global said: 'The upgrade reflects the significant growth Emaar experienced in Dubai residential real estate, along with the steady performance of malls, hospitality, and entertainment that lends resilience to the cyclical development business. 'Emaar's credit ratios remained strong as revenue grew 33 per cent and EBITDA 12 per cent in 2024. The company was in a net cash position with no leverage, with AED 19.1 billion of discretionary cash flow (DCF). We forecast strong revenue growth to continue in 2025-2026 with S&P Global Ratings-adjusted EBITDA margins of 42-45 per cent, which will support Emaar's financial metrics despite rising capex and dividends based on the new policy.' Moody's highlighted a significant reduction in adjusted debt of Emaar from 2020 to March 2025 and the drop in debt-to-equity ratio over the same period. In its report, Moody's said Emaar Properties has sufficient liquidity to cover debt maturities of AED 4.8 billion (US$1.3 billion) through June 2026. Moody's said: 'The company's liquidity is excellent, with a cash balance of AED 25.4 billion (US$7 billion) as of 31 March 2025 (excluding restricted cash in escrow accounts) and undrawn revolving credit facilities of AED 7.4 billion (US$2 billion).' Both agencies issued a stable outlook, reflecting their expectation that Emaar will maintain solid credit metrics, strong liquidity, and continued operational performance. These dual upgrades reinforce the company's reputation as a leading player in the global real estate sector, anchored in a dynamic and fast-growing market.

AI expected to contribute over $96 billion to the UAE's GDP by 2031
AI expected to contribute over $96 billion to the UAE's GDP by 2031

Khaleej Times

time40 minutes ago

  • Khaleej Times

AI expected to contribute over $96 billion to the UAE's GDP by 2031

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to contribute over $96 billion to the UAE's GDP by 2031, with annual growth projected between 20-30 per cent, analysts say. According to PwC, AI is expected to account for 13.6 per cent of the UAE's GDP, the highest among GCC countries — compared to 12.4 per cent in Saudi Arabia and 8.2 per cent in the rest of the GCC. Ranked fifth globally in Stanford's Global AI Vibrancy Tool, the UAE has emerged as a global AI pioneer through a range of strategic initiatives. In 2017, the UAE launched its National AI Strategy 2031 to become a global leader in AI. The strategy targets enhanced productivity and cost reduction across sectors such as transportation, space, renewable energy, water, technology, education, environment, and healthcare — particularly in combating chronic and life-threatening diseases. To support AI's growth, the UAE has significantly invested in information and communication technology (ICT) and internet infrastructure, through public, private, and foreign direct investments (FDI). During US President Donald Trump's visit to Abu Dhabi in May 2025, G42, an AI holding company based in Abu Dhabi, announced a partnership with OpenAI, Nvidia, Cisco, SoftBank, and Oracle to develop Stargate UAE — a 5GW AI data centre campus. Phase one, with 200 MW capacity, is expected to be completed by 2026. Building such AI data centres is capital-intensive. For example, Nvidia's H100 GPUs cost around $30,000 each, and a hyperscale centre may need at least 10,000 GPUs, totaling $300 million. 'For context, OpenAI used approximately 20,000 GPUs to train GPT-4, while Meta and Microsoft each have centres with over 100,000 GPUs. These centres also consume vast amounts of energy — 100MW data centres consume electricity equivalent to 350,000–400,000 electric vehicles annually according to IEA estimates,' Mayed Al Rashdi, economics research manager at Emirates NBD, said in a note. Between 2020–2025, the UAE attracted $4.89 billion in greenfield ICT and internet infrastructure FDI, an increase of more than 60 per cent on the existing stock of FDI in the sector. In early 2025 alone, the UAE secured $220.6 million in data centre investments. In March 2025, Microsoft announced plans to build sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure in partnership with G42, supporting Abu Dhabi's 2025–2027 strategy to become the world's first AI-native government. This infrastructure will process over 11 million daily interactions among government entities, citizens, and businesses. Microsoft also acquired a $1.5 billion minority stake in G42 in 2024. The two largest greenfield FDI projects came from Swiss firms Acronis and Swiss GRC, each investing $246 million. Switzerland ranks second behind the US in total capital investment in digital infrastructure and ICT in the UAE ($2.86 billion across 20 projects). The UK follows with $466 million from three projects, India with $356 million from one project, and Germany with $245.8 million from one. The UAE has the highest number of data centres in the region — 35 — compared to Oman's 12 and Saudi Arabia's 11. Public cloud spending per employee stands at $228, the highest in the region according to data from BCG. Dubai hosts 18 of these centres, while Abu Dhabi has 16. Despite having fewer centres, Abu Dhabi leads in value, with $1.23 billion in data centre assets versus Dubai's $815 million. Currently, 11 new data centres worth $3 billion are under construction and expected to be completed by 2026. Additionally, six data centres are in the pre-execution phase, valued at $41 billion ($40 billion of which is for the G42 UAE–US AI Campus). The growth of data centres has been hindered by the US' AI Diffusion Rule which restricted the import of advanced chips such as Nvidia's H100 and H200. However, in May 2025, the Trump administration rescinded this rule, enabling the UAE to import up to 500,000 of Nvidia's most advanced chips annually. 'This reversal has reinvigorated the UAE's data centre expansion efforts and is expected to accelerate the country's AI infrastructure development moving forward,' Al Rashdi noted. Internationally, the UAE is the second-largest investor in ICT and internet infrastructure greenfield FDI ($70.6 billion), trailing the US ($283.9 billion). The UAE also leads in average capital expenditure per project at $2.35 billion across 30 projects, compared with the US's average of $378.6 million across 750 projects. G42 and Mubadala co-established the MGX Fund — a $100 billion vehicle for investing in global ICT, internet infrastructure, and semiconductors. MGX deployed $43.4 billion in partnership with Bpifrance, Mistral AI, and NVIDIA to build Europe's largest AI campus in France (1.4GW capacity). MGX is also involved in Stargate USA, a $500 billion mega project to build 20 AI data centres across the US, in partnership with Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank. MGX has been active in private deals, investing $6.6 billion in OpenAI at a $157 billion valuation in October 2024 — now nearly doubled to $300 billion. DAMAC Holding ranks fourth globally in ICT and internet infrastructure FDI, having invested over $20 billion in US data centres. Its first phase includes 500MW facilities across states like Texas, Arizona, Ohio, and others. DAMAC also invested $852 million across three cities in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Dammam, and King Abdullah Economic City) and is active in countries including Greece, Spain, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, and Ireland.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store