ABU DHABI (WAM)
Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Authority (NMA), said that the UAE views media as a sovereign investment in social stability rather than a secondary sector, noting that the wise leadership regards media as a strategic partner in shaping the future and a key contributor to raising awareness, building trust and strengthening social cohesion.
He explained that the UAE manages its national media through a governance-based approach, equipping it with professional tools of influence that have made it a genuine bridge of communication among members of society, a driver of sustainable development and a form of soft power capable of transforming discourse into impact and vision into reality.
This comes at a time when the need is growing for responsible media that leads without being swept along, and influences without misleading.
He made the remarks during a keynote session at the Dubai International Project Management Forum, titled “Building Bridges Between Communities: Media As a National Ecosystem for Impact leadership | Governance | impact creation."
He stressed that media today represents the soft infrastructure that shapes how people understand one another, likening it to an invisible bridge upon which collective societal awareness is built.
He warned that if such infrastructure is not managed wisely and thoughtfully, it may become a source of division rather than cohesion.
Al Hamed cautioned that ill-considered media can create deep rifts within a single society, emphasising that social cohesion cannot be managed through emotions or resonant slogans, but through a professional media system that respects human diversity and manages differences with strategic intelligence.
He noted that strong media does not rely on excluding others or marginalising differing voices, but instead creates a shared language for constructive dialogue that unites rather than divides.
He affirmed that every cohesive and stable society is necessarily supported by media that explains and clarifies, not media that incites or provokes.
He stressed that media in the modern era is no longer merely a technical tool for conveying messages and information, but has become an integrated national project aimed at building genuine rapprochement among the various segments of society, and a fundamental pillar in shaping the resilient social fabric upon which modern states are built.
He affirmed that responsible media does not chase short-term gains, but invests in safeguarding the future, explaining that the polarisation exhausting today’s world is not inevitable, but rather the direct result of hasty or undisciplined media discourse that feeds on division.
He pointed out that the strength of conscious media lies in its ability to skilfully manage cultural and intellectual diversity without undermining the unity of the societal narrative, noting that true influence on public thought does not mean controlling discourse, but wisely guiding it towards the compass of the public good.
Al Hamed emphasised that building bridges between societies requires the courage to speak the truth in inclusive language that transcends exclusion, noting that strategically managed media becomes a calming force in times of crisis, not an instrument of escalation.
On the dangers of misinformation, he stressed that false information does not constitute merely a media risk, but represents a direct threat to societal trust, which he described as the most valuable social capital any nation can possess.
He called for media risk management to be proactive rather than reactive, underlining that every uncalculated media message carries a real cost to the national project and negatively impacts the course of comprehensive development.
In defining sustainable media, he explained that it is media governed by values and ethical principles before laws and regulations, stressing that the success of any media governance system is not measured by the number of legal texts or the density of regulatory frameworks, but by its genuine ability to protect trust between media institutions and the public, and to safeguard credibility, which is the cornerstone of any successful and influential media system.
He noted that any project lacking a clear communication strategy is vulnerable to faltering, affirming that the role of media is not to embellish reality, but to place challenges within their proper context in a way that strengthens trust.
He added that the role of media extends beyond managing information to managing emotions and building psychological stability within society, particularly during periods of major transformation.
Al Hamed affirmed that consolidating national reputation is not achieved through media campaigns or polished slogans, but is the result of a deep, cumulative process shaped by the convergence of actual behaviour, balanced discourse and authentic experience.
He noted that a country’s image is built on the credibility of information before the aesthetics of messaging.
He added that national reputation represents a long-term asset shaped by every detail experienced by individuals inside and outside the country, stressing that complete alignment between words and actions is the cornerstone of earning international trust.
He emphasised that the greatness of nations is measured not by what they say about themselves, but by what the world perceives in their actions.
He concluded the session by affirming that the media is the foremost sovereign interface translating the aspirations of the national project to the world, noting that when managed as an integrated system, its impact shifts from a fleeting shine to a lasting imprint in the record of history.