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The UAE Media Council emphasizes the importance of equipping Gulf media professionals with AI skills through specialised training and strategic initiatives, aiming to secure the region\u2019s future competitiveness amid rapid technological transformation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
His Excellency Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi, Secretary General of the UAE Media Council, emphasised the pivotal role that equipping media professionals in the Gulf with artificial intelligence (AI) competencies plays in securing the sector\u2019s future competitiveness. Speaking at a workshop titled \u201cDesigning the New Media Era with AI\u201d held in Dubai, HE highlighted the necessity of ongoing initiatives, policies, and strategic frameworks to bolster the preparedness of media practitioners and enhance industry resilience across the region.<\/p>\n
The workshop, a collaborative effort between the UAE Media Council, the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the New Media Academy, gathered experts from media, news, and marketing departments throughout the GCC. Participants received extensive training in a variety of AI tools tailored specifically for the media sector. This programme forms part of a broader endeavour aimed at promoting reliable content creation, accelerating publishing workflows, improving the calibre of regional media talent, and fostering creativity. Hands-on experiences, including field visits, were designed to cultivate leadership skills and professional readiness crucial for navigating the evolving media landscape.<\/p>\n
HE Al Shehhi underlined that advancing media skills through cutting-edge technologies is a catalyst for innovation, which in turn attracts both local and international investment, enabling the expansion of pioneering media and creative ventures within the Gulf. He cited market research from Grand View Research forecasting that the AI in media market will reach nearly $100 billion by 2030, reinforcing the urgency for comprehensive strategies to develop the AI skillsets and leadership capabilities necessary for media organisations in the region to adopt these technologies swiftly.<\/p>\n
Participants engaged directly with the evolution of AI applications in media, learning to harness AI tools for transforming basic content into publication-ready formats, including video, images, and text. The training also covered utilising AI outputs in research, archiving, and efficient media project management. Furthermore, the workshop placed strong emphasis on ethical editorial practices, content verification, and combating deepfakes to maintain trustworthiness and integrity in media, news, and creative sectors. A notable feature was guidance on designing personalised AI assistants to support professionals in research and creative endeavours.<\/p>\n
In parallel developments, the UAE Media Council has issued a firm warning against the misuse of AI to create misleading depictions of public figures and national symbols, actions deemed clear violations of media content standards under UAE law. The council cautioned that such infractions could attract fines and administrative penalties and urged content creators and media bodies to uphold ethical responsibilities to prevent misinformation.<\/p>\n
Industry data corroborates the importance of AI in reshaping media and entertainment globally. Various reports highlight robust growth projections for the AI media market, with forecasts ranging from around $99 billion by 2030 to upwards of $166 billion by 2033. The compound annual growth rates (CAGR) noted in these analyses fluctuate between approximately 22% and 27%, reflecting rapid adoption of AI in content creation, distribution, marketing, and audience engagement processes. AI’s transformative effects are seen in smart content analysis, automatic image tagging, scalable personalisation, video editing automation, and more, enhancing both operational efficiency and user experience.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the AI market within social media is expanding briskly, with valuations expected to reach several billion dollars by 2030. These tools address challenges such as information overload and content chaos, while improving targeted communication and platform capabilities.<\/p>\n
Together, these developments underscore a clear momentum toward integrating AI deeply into the media ecosystem across the Gulf and globally. The UAE\u2019s proactive approach through education, ethical guidelines, and strategic investment seeks to position the region at the forefront of this new media era.<\/p>\n