Dubai: Mona Ganem Al Merri, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), addressed a group of media organisations from across the world who gathered together in Dubai for a meeting hosted by the United Nations Foundation.

The meeting was held to discuss the Global Bureau project, a programme to support media companies and journalists in their efforts to cover sustainable development more extensively and deeply.

Al Merri spoke with participants about the rapidly expanding media landscape in Dubai, and the importance of media in Dubai’s overall growth, with a particular emphasis on the last 10 years.

The meeting featured a discussion on the role of media in driving conversations around global development, as well as how the changing media landscape affects media markets.

Al Merri said: “Dubai is increasingly becoming a pivotal city in the global media industry both by virtue of being a platform for reaching the world’s fastest growing media markets as well as providing a highly supportive environment for media innovation and entrepreneurship to flourish.”

“From a very early stage, Dubai’s leadership recognised that a dynamic media sector was key to the development of a knowledge-based economy. Dubai is committed to supporting media in developing new capabilities and tapping new opportunities in today’s rapidly changing digital landscape. Dubai provides the ideal setting for global media to share ideas and experiences as well as engage in a dialogue on critical issues that will shape the future of the media industry,” she added.

The UN Foundation was working in partnership with the World Government Summit for the second year running. It brings together a diverse set of partners, including journalists, corporate executives, youth leaders, and digital influencers, for the opportunity to participate in the summit.

The discussions about media included issues the importance of data in reporting, media’s role in engaging citizens in public discourse that helps shape policy, and the interplay between global trends and local and regional reporting.