Bahrain participates in Arab Media Forum

Ali bin Mohammed Al Romaihi, the Minister of Information Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) has urged the Gulf and Arab media to bear its historic responsibility in boosting the cohesion of the internal front in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and maintain the Arab nation's cultural and civilizational identity in view of the current risks and challenges, considering the media as the constructive but non-destructive tool of development.
The minister's remarks came at the 14th Arab Media Forum in the State of Kuwait held under the patronage and in the presence of Kuwait's Prime Minister HH Shaikh Jabir Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah during which the Kingdom of Bahrain has been named the (Guest of Honour) for the forum's current session themed "Media.... Life" hosted by the State of Kuwait, with the participation of Gulf and Arab information ministers, officials, journalists, intellectuals, academicians.
In his speech, Al Romaihi expressed his appreciation and pride in the depth of ever growing close, historic fraternal Bahraini-Kuwaiti bonds fostered by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Kuwaiti Amir of Humanity His Highness Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jabir Al Sabah.
The minister praised the Kuwaiti generosity and its success stories quoting the poet who labelled it as "the giggle of destinies for humankind." He cited Kuwait's leading in the fields of media, sports, arts and culture and the professional role of its media in boosting the spirit of national unity across all audio-visual and written media.
The minister said "the Arabian Gulf is entrusted on the shoulders of all of us, urging the journalists and media professional to bear their responsibility in preserving the internal front and the developmental and civilizational accomplishments. 
He stressed the significance of development of traditional radio and television channels as well as the press and publications to keep pace with the huge quantum leap witnessed in the digital media, in transforming the media into a huge global industry that grows at 5% per annum amid the anticipated rise in global media expenditures from 1.6 trillion dollars in 2014 to more than 2 trillion dollars by 2019, of which the digital media constitutes a percentage in excess of 41% and 50.3 percent in the two aforesaid years respectively according to international surveys.
The minister pointed out that the Arab reality is experiencing chaos and challenges in the professional media performance with the existence of 1300 Arabic-speaking TV channels and 156 million active users of the social media networks.
More than 3 million tweets are posted on a daily basis amidst the unstable and biased media scene including rivalry between political ideologies, sectarian, regional discord in heated bid to achieve commercial profit against the security and unity of Arab countries and national, ethical Arab civilizational identity and marginalization of the development and cultural role of the media, according to the latest report issued by the Arab federation of radio broadcasting.
The minister warned from the existence of more than 100 sectarian-programmed channels some of which stir religious and sectarian strife, hate, swerving ideology, sowing divisions in the communities into schisms, parties, as well as reginal and foreign news channels aimed to destabilize the region's security, stability, safety and identify, and to obliterate the State of Citizenship, and to incite a psychological warfare and hostile propaganda including 40 Iranian satellite channels or channels affiliated with Iran, its sectarian parties in the region.
The Minister of Information Affairs concluded his speech: Despite the destruction into relicts in some of our surrounding countries, the Arabian Gulf States remain the most secure, growing in all sectors thanks to our solidarity and cohesion. Let us conserve the accomplishments that others see as dreams. He urged the Arab media to simultaneously make the Arabian national identity their prime concern and to carry out their duties as partners in maintaining the Arab community's security and stability.

Source: BNA