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Dubai: Three UAE-based journalists were among the winners of the Arab Journalism Awards 2008, who were honoured at a glittering ceremony on Thursday.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, honoured recipients of the Arab Journalism Awards (AJA) at the closing ceremony of the Seventh Arab Media Forum.
The forum saw two days of intensive deliberations on the impact of new technologies on the media. It brought together over 700 local, regional and international media and 50 industry experts under the theme 'Bridging Arab Media Through Technology'.
"It is a prestigious award that a journalist cannot easily achieve due to the high competition among contenders ... I still consider myself a new journalist as I have only been working for almost six years," Ahmad Sadiq Mohammad Al Mansouri, from the UAE's Al Ittihad Arabic daily, told Gulf News during the glitzy ceremony which was attended by more than 700 media professionals and academicians.
AJA "motivates the reporter to aim for internationally recognised media awards" the 29-year-old Al Mansouri said, noting that AJA is one of the UAE's most creative and prestigious awards. "We travelled to Iraq [Kurdistan] and went on field trips and conducted our investigative report."
Al Mansouri, an Emirati, and his Egyptian colleague, Akram Alfi, jointly bagged the Best Investigative Report this year. A host of senior media professionals and representatives, diplomats, academics and government representatives from around the Arab world attended the ceremony.
"The award has really made me proud of what I am today ... I am satisfied with my professional experience in the UAE. AJA has sincerely given me a new start," said Al Alfi who has been working as a journalist for nine years. Basil Ali Abu Hamda, a reporter for the Dubai-based newspaper Al Bayan, also bagged an award for his interview with Paulo Coelho.
The event screened a film on the deceased Iraqi journalists, Shihab Al Tamimi and Ahmad Al Rabei. It also screened a documentary on the life and work of Makram Mohammad Ahmad, the Media Personality of the Year 2008.
Honours and tribute
- Media Personality of the Year:
Shaikh Mohammad presented the award to Makram Mohammad Ahmad, head of the Egyptian Journalists Union
--Special Awards:
Shaikh Mohammad presented a special award to the family of the deceased Iraqi journalist, Shihab Al Tamimi.
Khalfan Al Roumi, Board Chairman for the Arab Journalism Awards (AJA), presented a special tribute award to the son of the deceased journalist Ahmad Al Rabei. The award was accepted by Qutaiba Al Rabei.
--Columnist:
Shaikh Mohammad presented the award to Jihad Al Khazen from Al Hayat newspaper.
--Political Journalism:
Ahmad Al Shaikh, Managing Director of Dubai Media Incorporated, awarded Bashir Al Bakar from Al Khaleej newspaper, the UAE.
--Investigative Journalism:
Abdul Lateef Al Sayegh, CEO of Arab Media Group, presented the award to Ahmad Sadiq Mohammad Al Mansouri and Akram Alfi from Al Ittihad newspaper, the UAE.
--Press Interviews:
Saoud Balawi, Executive Chairman of Dubai Group, presented the award to Basil Ali Abu Hamda, Al Bayan, UAE.
--Cultural Journalism:
Khalid Al Malek of Tatweer presented the award to Ehab Al Hadari from News Today Foundation, Egypt.
--Business Journalism:
Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of Dubai International Financial Centre, presented the award to Jamal Fadil Ali, Al Ahram, Egypt.
--Environmental Journalism:
Sultan Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World, presented the award to Al Waqt newspaper, Bahrain. The award was collected by Ebrahim Al Bashmi, Editor-in-Chief of Al Waqt newspaper.
--IT Journalism:
Ali Al Ahmad, Executive Vice-President of Planning and Strategy, Etisalat, presented the award to Mounira Bint Abdullah Al Madi from Al Jazeera newspaper, Saudi Arabia.
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