By Gazette Staff CAIRO, May 9, 2018 - Cairo hosted on Wednesday the 49th session of the Arab Information Ministers Council, choosing the city of Riyadh as the capital of the Arab media for the year 2018/2019, according to the council's final communiqué. The council confirmed the adoption of Jerusalem as a permanent capital of Arab media, in parallel with the annual choice of an Arab capital. The council called on the Arab States Broadcasting Union to co-operate and coordinate activities with the Arab news agencies and Arab TV channels, to unify the live broadcasting of the ceremony establishing Riyadh as the capital of the Arab media. In his speech at the opening ceremony of the 49th session of the council, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abu el-Gheit said it was necessary for the Arab media to reflect the moderate nature of Arab civilisation and to prevent the spread of sectarianism and hatred. Abu el-Gheit said in his speech, which was read out by the Assistant Secretary-General and Head of Media and Communication at the Arab League, Ambassador Haifa Abu Ghazala, that this council session was being held at a time when the Arab region was facing huge challenges, foremost among which were political disturbances, foreign intervention and economic challenges. He added, "These challenges behove us to unite to solve the nation's problems and to achieve the goals we seek." The AL chief said it was important for the media to undertake its role of reform and to encourage the public to be involved in key issues, including climate change. The AL secretary-general asserted that the Palestinian cause would always be of prime importance to all the Arabs and proof of this was the fact that the latest Arab summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia bore the title "Jerusalem Summit". Abu el-Gheit warned that the phenomenon of terrorism was continuing in various parts of the world and it was essential to update the Arab strategy for fighting terrorism which had been approved by the Arab Information Ministers Council. Algeria chaired the 49th session of the Arab Information Ministers Council which began in Cairo on Wednesday. Before that, the council was chaired by Tunisia. Egypt's delegation to the meeting was led by the head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, Makram Mohamed Ahmed.
