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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated the 15th edition of the Arab Media Forum at Dubai World Trade Center.

Shaikh Mohammed was accompanied by Princess Haya bint Al Hussain, wife of Shaikh Mohammed, Chairperson of International Humanitarian City and UN messenger of peace, as well as Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed,Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, and Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

The two-days forum - organised under the slogan ‘Media for Good’ - was attended by Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and hundreds of prominent Arab and international media elites.

Addressing the opening keynote speech, Princess Haya said that the humanitarian aspect has been ignored amidst the intense political turmoil in the region.

Addressing the opening keynote speech, Princess Haya said that the humanitarian aspect has been ignored amidst the intense political turmoil in the region.

In her remarks, she called on Arab media officials to give professionals their due rights to secure a decent living. She also praised the UAE for forming two new ministries - for happiness and tolerance - at this time of conflict in the region.

In his keynote speech, Nasser Judeh stressed the urgency of specialized humanitarian media to focus on humanitarian issues in the region.

He also called on Arab leaders to support the people of Palestine, as well as Syrian refugees in various countries. Citing Jordan as an example, he said the government makes every effort to provide assistance to Syrians that are currently on Jordanian soil and ensure their safety and security

International speakers include editors of global media and top management executives of news and social media groups. They will join their Arab counterparts in discussing issues ranging from the future of news to the dialogue of civilisations.

Among the opening day's international speakers will be Ian Phillips, Middle East News Director of The Associated Press (AP), who will share his views on the forces shaping the evolution of journalism in the region.

Amanda Wills, former deputy executive editor at Mashable; David Weiner, editor-at-large at Digg.com; and Rishi Jaitly, VP, Asia Pacific and Middle East at Twitter; will give insights from their leadership roles in global digital media giants.

Mona Ghanim Al Marri, Chairperson of the AMF Organising Committee and President of Dubai Press Club (DPC), stressed that the participation of international thought leaders fosters a deeper understanding of issues impacting Arab media.

"This year, we look forward to building new bridges of constructive dialogue and between [Arab and global media peers]," she added.

The two-day event, organised by DPC, provides a platform for debating issues that are relevant to daily life.