Amman, Oct. 9 (Petra)-- Government Communication Minister and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani on Friday evening inaugurated the dialogue sessions of the Arab Media Dialogue Forum, organized by the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) in Amman, on the sidelines of the fourth Future of Media and Communication Conference, "A Changing World," which opens on Saturday.
At the beginning of the session, Momani welcomed ministers, guests and participants from across the Arab world, reaffirming Jordan’s pride in its fraternal ties with Arab countries.
He stressed the importance of strengthening Arab media cooperation and institutionalizing dialogue among media, intellectual, and cultural institutions and figures in a way that serves shared Arab causes and supports development, including the tourism sector.
Momani noted that professional and independent media is a key element of a state’s strength, helping defend its interests, correct its course, and showcase Arab countries’ potential and resources to the world.
Speaking about the media’s role in supporting sustainable development and tourism across the Arab world, Tourism Minister Imad Hejazeen said media plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development and supporting the tourism sector by highlighting Arab countries’ natural, historical, and cultural assets and promoting their diverse destinations through professional and innovative approaches and various media platforms.
He emphasized the importance of promoting intra-Arab tourism, which relies on visitors traveling between geographically close countries, describing it as a key pillar for supporting tourism and economic development across the region.
Hejazeen said intra-Arab tourism levels remain below expectations, accounting for no more than 40 percent of tourism, despite the Arab world’s population of nearly 500 million and its diverse tourism attractions, as well as shared linguistic, historical, cultural, and civilizational ties.
He noted that the figure is modest compared with intra-regional tourism rates elsewhere, which stand at around 88 percent in Europe and 79 percent in Asia.
This gap, he said, calls for intensified Arab efforts to develop joint tourism initiatives and capitalize on geographical proximity and the ease of travel between Arab countries by land, sea, and air, thereby boosting tourist flows and increasing tourism’s contribution to Arab economies.
Hejazeen added that advancing intra-Arab tourism requires moving beyond joint efforts and agreements toward practical, sustainable programs. While Arab tourism ministries, governments, and the League of Arab States have made efforts to strengthen cooperation, he said the results still require further coordination, promotion, and joint action to match the region’s tourism potential and the diversity of its products and destinations.
He also called on Arab media outlets to focus on Jordan’s "20-30" initiative, launched in May as part of preparations to capitalize on the occasion marking 2,000 years since the baptism of Jesus Christ in Jordan. He said the occasion carries religious, historical, and cultural significance for the Kingdom and millions of Christians worldwide.
For his part, CDFJ Director Nidal Mansour said the Arab Media Dialogue Forum provides an important platform for dialogue and the exchange of expertise among Arab media institutions. It also offers an opportunity to highlight priority issues facing the Arab media landscape and explore shared interests that can strengthen cooperation and integration among media outlets across the region.
Mansour said the session addresses two main themes. The first examines the media’s role in supporting development in its various forms, with a particular focus on tourism as a vital sector supporting national economies. The second explores the challenges facing Arab media amid rapid sectoral changes and successive technological advances.
He added that one of the key issues requiring in-depth discussion among Arab journalists and media institutions is journalists’ job security amid the emergence of artificial intelligence technologies and their expanding use in media work.
These developments, he said, raise questions about the future of the profession, employment stability, and media organizations’ ability to keep pace with technological advances while preserving professionalism, independence, and content quality.
The forum brought together a large number of Arab journalists, including ministers, press syndicate heads, and members of media councils and associations. Participants held extensive discussions on key media issues across the Arab world, challenges to developing the media sector, and ways to strengthen its contribution to development, particularly tourism.
They also examined obstacles to improving media performance and keeping pace with rapid changes in the global media landscape.
Participants put forward a range of practical proposals to address these challenges, stressing the importance of stronger cooperation and coordination among Arab media institutions, exchanging expertise and successful experiences, and developing media content that responds to the needs of Arab societies and reflects their cultural and civilizational diversity.
They also underscored the need to make effective use of modern digital tools and social media platforms to reach wider audiences and strengthen the regional and international visibility of Arab tourist destinations.
//Petra// MF
