Salalah, Oman – The city of Salalah in Oman hosted the Omani Journalism Forum from September 2 to 5, 2024, under the theme “Investment, Economy, Media.” The event was organized by the Omani Journalists Association in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, under the patronage of the Governor of Dhofar, His Excellency Marwan bin Turki Al Said.
The forum brought together more than 200 journalists and media professionals from 23 countries, including representatives from Morocco’s National Union of Moroccan Press. The event was attended by heads of international journalism unions and associations, as well as representatives from Arab and international media outlets.
Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Al-Araimi, President of the Omani Journalists Association, stated that the forum aims to enhance communication with global journalism and media organizations and highlight Oman’s tourism and cultural assets.
Dominique Pradalié, President of the International Federation of Journalists, emphasized the importance of the forum in building joint cooperation among journalists and media professionals worldwide.
The forum’s program included a panel discussion on investment opportunities in tourism and economy in Oman and the role of media in promoting them. The discussion explored ways to leverage artificial intelligence technologies to achieve investment, economic, and tourism goals, in line with Oman’s Vision 2040.
At the conclusion of the forum, Dr. Amal bint Talib presented recommendations including investing in AI technologies for journalistic work, supporting creative ideas in the media field, and encouraging entrepreneurs to develop innovative tourism projects.
This forum, the first of its kind in Oman, aims to strengthen the role of media in supporting economic and tourism sectors, focusing on the challenges and opportunities presented by modern technology in this field.
The event also featured presentations on press freedom in 2023 and the charter of ethics for child-focused journalism and media. It highlighted Oman’s economic and tourism situation, exploring investment opportunities and defining the media’s role in supporting investment and tourism promotion in light of developing AI technologies.
Recommendations from the forum included encouraging the use of AI in finding future technological solutions for journalists and media professionals, supporting creative ideas and initiatives in the field, and qualifying media professionals and tourism promoters to deal with AI technologies. The forum also called for encouraging entrepreneurs to develop innovative tourism projects and creating media legislation that keeps pace with AI applications while maintaining professional ethics and providing adequate protection for journalists.