KUNA chief leaves for Riyadh for Arab, International news agencies events

KUNA Board Chairman and Director-General Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah has left here for Riyadh to attend the 41st Conference of the General Assembly of the Federation of Arab News Agencies and Fourth International Conference of News Agencies due here on Sunday and Monday respectively. In pre-departure remarks, he stressed the significance of participation in the Fourth International Conference of News Agencies, which will attract officials and representatives of international news agencies and press organizations. He regarded the conference as the beginning of a fresh stage for more Arab-international cooperation in the media field, saying that it would contribute to improving the work of world news agencies and promoting their role in the conveyance of facts, information and news in an objective manner. It will also lead to tapping on major advancement in the area of modern media tools and methods and to upgrading the efficiency of journalists, as well as protecting journalists from potential risks while doing their job, he added. The convening of this significant international conference in this stage, which sees tangible media development in the region, stresses the vital and effective role by Saudi Arabia in serving both Arab and Muslim nations in various domains, he noted. The KUNA chief spoke highly of great efforts by SPA President Abdullah Bin Fahad Al-Hussein to host the conference, and his interest in developing Arab media and updating Arab media discourse. He voiced confidence that Al-Hussein's chairmanship of the gathering would contribute to revamping Arab mass media, drawing upon successful world media experience and capitalizing on modern media and information technology, pointing to KUNA's keenness on helping in this field. He said the fact that the 41st Conference of the General Assembly of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) and Fourth International Conference of News Agencies would be held at the same time is a good opportunity for promoting the utilization of world media experience and sharing views, visions and suggestions for world media cooperation. Sheikh Mubarak also highly commended the role of President of Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) and Director General of the Qatar News Agency (QNA) Ahmad Saad Al-Buainain during his two-year term of the FANA. He unveiled that KUNA would ask for hosting the 42nd FANA conference in 2015 out of its belief in the significant role by the federation in developing media and consolidating cooperation among Arab news agencies