Bahrain elected FANA's first VP

Kuwait, Nov. 25 (BNA): Bahrain has been elected First Vice President of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) at its 43rd general assembly in Kuwait. The 17 Arab news agencies taking part in FANA's general assembly meeting on November 24-25 elected Shaikh Mubarak Al Duaij Al Ibrahim Al Sabah the Board of Directors Chairman and Director General of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) as FANA's president, and Muhannad Sulaiman Al Nuaimi, the Acting General Director of Bahrain News Agency (BNA), as the First Vice President. The meeting also elected Oman as vice chair and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Lebanon as board members. Shaikh Mubarak expressed his gratitude for the trust in his country to lead FANA in the next two years and said there would be greater Arab media cooperation. Al Nuaimi said Bahrain's election reflected "the leading and pioneering role undertaken by the Kingdom in development of Gulf and Arab media in countering the campaigns that target countries in the region." He expressed his pride and appreciation for the trust, noting the significance of responsibilities in assuming the high position, especially in the light of challenges facing Arab news agencies that require collective efforts successfully. Al Nuaimi said the short-term plans require stronger, more effective media capable of expressing the Gulf and Arab peoples' aspiration and the protection of their accomplishments and capabilities amidst the risks to which the region and the whole world are subjected. He said the election of Shaikh Mubarak as President would push forward the federation's comprehensive developmental plans and projects, and praised the spectacular efforts of FANA's outgoing president, the President of Saudi Press Agency (SPA) Abdullah bin Fahad Al Hussain, during his term. He said Bahrain has a noticeable role in boosting and supporting the significance of joint Arab media action. Bahrain has hosted the 40th and the 42nd general assembly meetings of FANA, marking a quantum leap in the federation's work in view of the accomplishments and the size of attention received. "This has proven without any doubt that the Kingdom is considered the destination for all media activities thanks to its constant and steady efforts," he said. "Thanks to the leaders' determination and insistence, the kingdom has become a cultural and media hub in the region." Bahrain will also continue its endeavours to develop cooperation between FANA and other similar federations and will host the upcoming 45th General Assembly of the Federation of Arab News Agencies in 2017, he added. "Bahrain has always been keen on supporting the federation's projects and on opening new vistas of cooperation with various international federations, such as the meetings organized by BNA last year and attended by more than 40 news agencies from 35 countries," he said Al Nuaimi was referring to the meetings of the Executive Council of the Organisation of Southeast Asian and Pacific News Agencies (OANA) which was established four decades upon UNESCO initiative and the first joint meeting between OANA and FANA. Kuwait is hosting the 43rd FANA General Assembly meeting that aims to consolidate Arab media cooperation and boost the means for uplifting the work of Arab news agencies and their role in transparently and responsibly relaying of news and facts. The general secretariat of FANA comprises six member agencies which convenes twice yearly before the convening of the general assembly, and assumes the responsibility of organizing, arranging and coordinating communication between the member states and manages the meetings of the directors and heads of the Arab news agencies.