His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, announced yesterday, Saturday, a group of ministerial amendments in the UAE government. His Highness said in several posts through his official account on the “X” platform: “Brothers and sisters… with the blessing of my brother, the President of the State, may God protect him, and after consulting with him, we announce today a group of ministerial amendments in the UAE government.” Among these appointments is the appointment of Sultan Al Neyadi as Minister of State for Youth. His Excellency Sultan Al Neyadi is considered one of the first pioneering Emirati astronauts, as he completed the longest Arab space mission that lasted for 6 months, inspiring Arab youth with his historical experience in space. Also, Dr. Amna Al Shamsi was appointed as Minister of Environment, as she has previously made great achievements in the field of environment, agriculture and food security. These appointments demonstrate seriousness in promoting young leaders in the scientific field and confirm the country’s commitment to advancing science and technology. As a result, there will be an increasing need for scientific journalism and the media in general to report on these achievements and developments.
Scientific media is extremely important for several reasons. It helps enable people to understand the world around them, contributes to building confidence in the field of science, and encourages active participation in science, enhancing comprehensive scientific knowledge. Based on this importance, scientific media is a vital matter that facilitates scientific decision-making and promotes scientific progress, which plays a very important role in encouraging public participation in the field of scientific research.
Despite the importance of scientific media, it faces several challenges in the Arab world. Among these challenges: language barriers, as finding an Arab journalist or media professional who is fluent in both Arabic and English at the same level is rare, and given that the vast majority of scientific content is only available in English, accessing it is more difficult for media professionals who speak only Arabic. There are also cultural and societal factors, as some assume that science is too complex or irrelevant to everyday life, which may hinder interest and investment in efforts to transfer scientific knowledge.
There are also challenges related to the media representation of Arab scientists, as it is noted that they are poorly represented in the mainstream media, compared to celebrities in the fields of art and sports, which has led to an underestimation of scientific achievements in the region. From a political standpoint, political instability in many countries in the region is a factor that casts a shadow on reality and contributes to reducing the importance of scientific media, as more emphasis is placed on political media.
Together, these challenges hinder the progress of scientific media in the Arab world, which requires continued efforts to overcome them. Therefore, the emergence of media professionals specializing in scientific affairs must be strengthened. These professionals need expertise in science and media to be vital links between scientific knowledge and the public. Their mission involves simplifying complex information into accessible content, which captures the audience's interest, and certainly requires them to master both Arabic and English to communicate efficiently and professionally.
* A Saudi researcher in political media
#importance #scientific #media #Arab #world
