UAE media authority chief says youth investment is a national priority
In short
Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, chairman of the National Media Authority, told the eighth Young Arab Media Leaders Programme that the UAE has made investing in young people a national priority. The Dubai session, titled “Behind the Scenes: How Media Systems Are Built from Scratch,” was attended by Minister of State for Youth Affairs Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi. Al Hamed said trust is the most valuable asset in media and that professionals should report fabricated content to platforms with evidence of its inaccuracy.
Why it matters
The remarks set out the official line on youth, media credibility and disinformation from the head of the UAE’s National Media Authority, delivered inside a regional training programme run by the Arab Youth Centre. They indicate that the authorities’ approach to false content extends beyond not sharing it to actively reporting it on platforms. The programme’s stated aim is to prepare Arab media participants; the documents give no further detail on funding or follow-up commitments.
Key facts
- Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed is chairman of the National Media Authority [ 1 , 2 ]
- He spoke during the eighth Young Arab Media Leaders Programme [ 1 , 2 ]
- The session was titled “Behind the Scenes: How Media Systems Are Built from Scratch” [ 1 , 2 ]
- Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and vice chairman of the Arab Youth Centre, attended [ 1 , 2 ]
- Al Hamed said trust is the most valuable asset of a media organisation, professional or content creator [ 1 , 2 ]
- He said trust is earned through accuracy, verification, transparency and respect for the audience’s intelligence rather than speed [ 1 , 2 ]
- He said media professionals should report false content to platforms and provide evidence of its inaccuracy [ 1 , 2 ]
- He described young people as a strategic asset for Arab media and addressed the growing influence of artificial intelligence [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The eighth Young Arab Media Leaders Programme hosted a session titled “Behind the Scenes: How Media Systems Are Built from Scratch” [ 1 , 2 ]
- Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi attended the session [ 1 , 2 ]
- Al Hamed said the UAE’s leadership treats investment in young people as a national priority [ 1 , 2 ]
- Al Hamed said trust is earned through accuracy, verification, transparency and respect for the audience’s intelligence, not speed of spread [ 1 , 2 ]
- Al Hamed said false content should be reported to the platforms carrying it, with evidence of inaccuracy [ 1 , 2 ]
- Al Hamed described young people as a strategic asset for Arab media [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- What Al Hamed said about artificial intelligence and its growing influence Both documents carry the same passage, which is cut off mid-sentence, so his remarks on AI are not readable in full
- The venue and exact time of the session within 2 October 2026 The documents give the date and the city of Dubai but no venue or session time
- Whether the Aletihad article is original reporting The Aletihad text carries a WAM dateline and repeats the WAM report, so both documents appear to draw on the same source