NBK stresses the development of cultural industries and the media system

Abu Dhabi (Etihad)

The Federal National Council, during its eighth session of its third regular session of the seventeenth legislative term, which was held under the chairmanship of Hamad Ahmed Al Rahoumi, First Deputy Speaker of the Council, yesterday evening, at Zayed Hall at the Council’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, adopted a number of recommendations during the discussion of the policy of the Ministry of Culture and Youth. The sectors dealt with: strengthening the national identity, developing the cultural and creative industries sector, youth centers and their role in developing and strengthening youth capabilities, and developing the national media system.
The Council decided to return the recommendations that it adopted during the discussion of the policy of the Ministry of Culture and Youth, to the Committee on Education, Culture, Youth, Media and Sports, to reformulate them. sustainable development, the Ministry’s role in establishing and supporting youth centers and developing the capabilities and talents of young people to achieve the goals of Vision 2071, and the Ministry’s efforts to develop the national media system to achieve Vision 2071.
The session was attended by Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and Youth, Saeed Al Nadhi, Director General of the Federal Youth Foundation, and the Ministry’s assistant undersecretaries.
In its recommendations, the council called for the preparation of operational programs and plans within the objectives of the ministry that focus on the concept of Emirati cultural privacy, the promotion of Islamic values, moderate values ​​and tolerance, the values ​​of determination and perseverance, mastery and discipline, and the preparation of a national program with Emirati knowledge content aimed at introducing and promoting the national and cultural heritage in accordance with the requirements of society. Talk, and develop an integrated national plan supported by incentives and soft financing programs to support companies and independent individuals working in the creative cultural industries, in coordination and cooperation with the public and private sectors, especially in cases of crises and emergencies, to ensure that these companies and individuals do not stumble.
He also called for the establishment of an authority for Emirati playwrights to advance the theatrical movement, to provide training courses and workshops for workers and talented people in theatrical field, and to implement training and rehabilitation programs for young people for the labor market in coordination with the relevant authorities to develop and develop youth competencies to explore their interests and aspirations and provide them with the skills required to be fully prepared for future jobs. The number of youth centers at the level of the emirates of the country to cover the largest segment of youth and improve its infrastructure in line with the cultural, health, sports and scientific needs of young people, exploit their creativity and capabilities, and develop oversight mechanisms to include members of the centers and their attendees and those accompanying them in accordance with the standards of security and community safety.
The council recommended the adoption and support of social media talents, especially those with beneficial accounts for the community, and focus on supporting and launching their successful projects or promoting them in coordination and cooperation with the relevant authorities, preparing studies and research related to the needs of young people and providing relevant data to the concerned authorities to be able to understand and develop their needs and to set plans and develop policies concerned with them, reviewing the structural legislation of the media authorities in the country and unifying the references in a clear and accurate manner that prevents overlapping in terms of reference, and repealing or amending Federal Law No. (15) of 1980 regarding publications and publishing to keep pace with the rapid developments in the field of media in its various means and elements, including digital media, and with It guarantees freedom of opinion and expression and the right to criticize in the official media in line with the general trend and the national constants of the state and is in the interest of an independent free media industry that knows its rights and duties in the belief in the role of the press and media in society.
The council also demanded that the ministry be given a status that qualifies it to look into any complaints lodged against the media and media professionals before submitting them to the judiciary, similar to the reconciliation committees in force in many bodies so that it specializes in examining complaints before moving them, and its role is to seek reconciliation between the parties and to submit a prior media report that is considered It is a restriction on the criminal case, and its decision is binding on both parties, and the criminal case is not moved except with its consent, based on what was stated in Article (101) of Federal Law No. (15) of 1980 regarding publications and publications related to the crime of defect.

Strengthening the national identity
Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, reviewed the ministry’s policy aimed at strengthening identity and national belonging and developing the cultural and creative industries sector in the country, and the ministry’s role in establishing and supporting youth centers, in addition to the ministry’s efforts to develop the national media system.
Her Excellency the Minister presented a number of success stories in the field of supporting the creative and youth sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the ministry launched a series of exceptional meetings with international organizations and the creative community in the country and activated the roles of cultural councils at the federal and local levels, as well as launched the Covid-19 digital platform that It united the efforts of all institutions concerned with the cultural and creative sector.
The Ministry also launched the National Program to Support Creatives in the Cultural Sector (Phase I and II), which provided financial grants worth 4.5 million dirhams, benefiting 140 creators and institutions, and the National Program to support creators in the cultural sector (Phase III) with a value of 1.5 million dirhams. Of them, 23 are plastic artists, through the Ministry’s acquisition of fifty pieces of art of their creativity, in addition to a vocational training program for those interested in working in the creative sector in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Governmental Academy. It has achieved 4,000 training hours and benefited 100 creators.
In the field of youth, Her Excellency said: “The Ministry launched more than 15 youth initiatives, including 100 ideas to invest in the energies of young people and their time at home, and a community campaign to celebrate young cadres in the National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management, in health and security agencies, municipalities and others, and the completion of an evaluation study. Trends and priorities in the youth sector in light of the current conditions and the post-Covid-19 stage, and a guiding guide for Emirati habits in dealing with epidemics.
During the session, Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi responded to the questions and inquiries submitted by council members regarding the regulation of electronic media activities, media content and the advertising guide in force in the Ministry’s Media Regulation Office.
Saeed Al-Nazari also provided answers about the role of the ministry in how to benefit from the cultural centers in the country, activating the cultural movement and the role of youth and directing their energies and capabilities. As well as the role of creative centers in building the personality of Emirati youth, and programs concerned with consolidating authentic Emirati values ​​among young people.
Shatha Saeed Al-Naqbi, Rapporteur of the Education, Culture, Youth, Media and Sports Affairs Committee, made observations and suggestions to enrich the ministry’s strategy in promoting national identity and belonging.
Her Excellency the Minister of Culture and Youth responded, saying, regarding the national identity, the Ministry works with the youth and considers them as the main value, and this matter has been implemented in the Ministry’s strategy, and we also cooperate with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Community Development, and 98% was achieved in the National Identity Index in 2020, and the Index It measures national identity according to 4 dimensions, which are the system of positive values, the system of national belonging, the system of tolerance and cultural homogeneity, and the system of heritage and national symbols.
Among the strategy and objectives of the National Youth Agenda, she said, are creative centers and building the character of the Emirati youth by instilling the values ​​of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, “may God rest his soul”, which are the values ​​that distinguish us as Emiratis, as well as promoting positive behavior, and this goal is achieved through activities and programs Creative centers, and the National Program for Emirati Youth Values ​​was launched in June 2016, and we confirm the existence of many joint programs with the Ministry of Education, given that many activities must be started before reaching the age of youth.
She added regarding the Arabic language, as it is a strategic file in the Ministry, with which many parties share, including the Ministry of Education and economic and educational institutions, and we worked in the Ministry to monitor the status and future of the Arabic language through the executive report issued in December 2021, and we focused in the Advisory Committee for the Arabic Language on preparing a report It studies the status of the Arabic language and its weaknesses and strengths. This report looks at many axes related to the future of the Arabic language, whether locally or globally, and how to deal with the developments we are facing. We organized an Arabic language summit at Expo 2020 in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language.
Aisha Al-Bairaq discussed investing in youth energy, empowering them and involving them within goals and initiatives, wondering about the positive results achieved from these initiatives.
Her Excellency the Minister responded, saying Emiratisation is a very important file, and the work of the ministry is to empower and prepare the youth, and the skills that young people must possess, especially graduates, but when we talk about the Emiratisation file, there is a responsible ministry and there is a competitive program and there are programs concerned with this file and the involvement of citizens in private and government programs, adding The work of the Ministry is participatory with various parties.

Media in times of crisis
Obaid Khalfan Al-Ghoul Al-Salami asked His Excellency Noura Al-Kaabi about the role of the media during crises of all kinds and the mechanisms of the Ministry of Culture and Youth in censoring electronic media to limit the spread of rumors and malicious and misleading news, especially in times of crisis.
Her Excellency the Minister responded that the Media Regulation Office relies on a set of general policies regarding the regulation of electronic media, including the National Media Council Board Resolution No. 3 of 2018 regarding the regulation of electronic media activities, and Resolution No. 23 of 2017 regarding media content and advertising guide in force in the Office of the Regulation Media, and in accordance with the policies and regulations of the Media Regulation Office and its organizational structure, the role of the strategic monitoring department is to follow up and monitor all publications, content and media activities, to ensure their compliance with legislation and regulations, prepare a plan to follow up on media and media activities within the country, and prepare monitoring and follow-up reports in coordination with organizational units In the Ministry, the monitoring team submits reports on what is being circulated through social media channels and its positive and negative impact. Violations are dealt with in cooperation with the competent authorities and the appropriate decision is taken. If the account that is publishing is licensed by the Media Regulation Office, it is dealt with according to a decision Cabinet No. 86 of 2020 according to Article No. 3 regarding violations.
She added, in times of crisis, the Media Regulatory Office cooperates with the National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management and other concerned parties regarding the publication and broadcast of appropriate and responsible content in accordance with the laws and regulations that are directed by the authority, and that the office cooperates permanently with all official authorities regarding controlling and tracking offending content on social media.
I agree with the importance of raising awareness and spreading positive concepts, concerted efforts, monitoring and follow-up of accounts licensed by the Media Regulation Office, and practices that do not fit with the national identity and reflect the modern Emirati personality.

Emiratisation and media power
Member Nasser Muhammad Al-Yamahi inquired about the policies and programs carried out by the ministry regarding the creation and unification of the strategic plan for organizing the media sector among media institutions in the country.
Her Excellency the Minister responded that the media sector in the country is part of the cultural sectors, as the ministry is working to develop the media system and make it keep pace with the rapid changes in the media sector, and the ministry is working on reconsidering the law of publications and publications, as there are many media institutions Global operates in the country and has offices there.
She said that with regard to setting media policies and media strategies for the state, it is within the competences of the UAE Government Media Office, and there is a team concerned with this, which is the national media team.
She added that the ministry is working, through the Media Regulatory Office, to monitor legislation, laws and applications related to the media and their suitability and flexibility, in order to develop the current law through cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers and with the media and concerned parties so that there is a law that keeps pace with the future within an integrated system, as the The media sector has become a large, complex and constantly evolving sector. We will take all suggestions made.
Member Dharar Hamid Belhoul Al Falasi raised the weakness of Emiratisation in media institutions. Her Excellency the Minister responded by saying that this is a very important topic, and this file is concerned with the Ministry in terms of it being part of the creative industries strategy, but we must ensure that the outputs of higher education are compatible with the labor market and coordination is done with the Ministry of Education And education through a committee specialized in scholarships, and this is within the plan and method of qualifying cadres for this sector, noting that resettlement in free zones or the Emiratisation percentage is not within the competence of the Ministry or the Media Regulation Office.
She said there are many young people we work with and look at the skills of these cadres and is this the specialization that serves the future labor market and the essence of the work to look at building these skills from early childhood to university stage to the scholarship stage, this integrated journey guarantees us, in cooperation with partners, to benefit from these energies, stressing the importance of having a role for national cadres inside and outside the country and young people working behind platforms in cyberspace and with international companies, and the work and career system has changed, which is the qualification of empowered youth in private or government companies that are racing to appoint them.
Naama Abdullah Al-Sharhan, the Second Vice-President of the Council, asked about the policies and programs undertaken by the Ministry to ensure the quality of media content provided to the UAE community, which targets different ages and there is a danger to us, which is the poor quality of the content.
Her Excellency the Minister responded that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced the characteristics of the Emirati personality, which is a very important charter that all parties should consider as a very important charter to raise awareness of personality and national identity and work must be concerted From all sides, youth centers, youth circles, media programs and partnerships with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Community Development, and here are many initiatives that receive the attention of the UAE, and awareness is important and we do it on social networking sites in partnership with the private sector, which is a partnership with the New Media Academy, which is a big challenge. But there are programs, but this is a large open space and awareness should be at all stages.