Arab Youth Centre celebrates graduation of 50 young media leaders from across the Arab world
The eighth edition of the Young Arab Media Leaders Programme has equipped a cohort of emerging journalists and content creators with essential skills in artificial intelligence, digital storytelling and information verification, preparing them to shape the future of Arab media.
The Arab Youth Centre has marked a significant milestone with the graduation of fifty accomplished young media professionals hailing from eighteen Arab nations, each having completed an intensive and transformative training programme designed to equip them with the contemporary competencies demanded by an evolving media landscape.
Held under the distinguished patronage of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs and Chairman of the Arab Youth Centre, the eighth edition of the Young Arab Media Leaders Programme represented a comprehensive immersion in the complexities and opportunities of modern journalism and digital content creation.
The graduation ceremony, conducted at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, witnessed the attendance of Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department and Vice Chairman of the Arab Youth Centre; Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Authority; and Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Vice Chairman of the Arab Youth Centre.
In his address to the graduates, Dr. Al Neyadi articulated the profound importance of investing in young people as a fundamental investment in national futures, emphasising that the provision of knowledge, skills and confidence strengthens their capacity to contribute meaningfully to societal development and catalyse positive change.
The programme curriculum encompassed a rigorously structured combination of intensive professional training, practical experience and engagement with distinguished media industry leaders and specialists. A diverse array of participating organisations, including the New Media Academy, Thomson Reuters, IMI Academy, Al Mashhad, blinx, Derayah and the National Network Communications, delivered specialised training sessions addressing responsible storytelling, information verification, artificial intelligence applications, mobile journalism, digital storytelling and public relations operations.
Artificial intelligence emerged as a central thematic focus throughout the eighth edition, with comprehensive discussions exploring both its transformative potential to enhance content quality and production efficiency, whilst simultaneously reinforcing the paramount importance of rigorous information verification and the preservation of public trust. In this context, the National Media Authority and the Arab Youth Centre jointly launched the ‘Smart Media Agents Challenge’, an initiative designed to encourage young professionals to develop innovative, artificial intelligence powered solutions addressing contemporary challenges within the media sector.
Dr. Al Neyadi articulated a compelling vision of genuine media leadership, characterising it not merely as technological adaptation but as the capacity to provide valuable knowledge, generate positive societal impact and accept responsibility for editorial decisions. He expressed his conviction that the future belongs not to those who merely respond to change, but to those possessing the knowledge and courage to direct it, encouraging the graduates to become purposeful communicators of integrity and vision.
The ceremony included recognition of the programme’s distinguished partners, presentation of completion certificates and a particular honour bestowed upon the mother of participant Rashid Rababaa, acknowledged as Jordan’s first blind media professional, exemplifying the inclusive spirit of the initiative.
Source: WAM