Mona Ghanem Al Marri

Mona Ghanem Al Marri (Arabic: منى غانم المري) is a government media official in the United Arab Emirates.[1] She has established a career in strategic media communication, management, public relations in addition to key role in the field of women's empowerment.

Her Excellency

Mona Ghanem Al Marri
منى غانم المري
Alma materHigher Colleges of Technology
TitleDirector General of the Government of Dubai Media Office
Spouse(s)Mohammed Al Gergawi

In 2012, she was appointed as Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office, a government entity responsible for managing the media affairs of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum the Crown Prince of Dubai and His Highness Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum the Deputy Ruler of Dubai; furthermore, the Office manages relationships and coordination between the Government of Dubai and local and international media.[2][3]

Career in the Media Sector

Currently, Mona Al Marri is the Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office. Throughout her career, she has completed many projects and initiatives, including:

Early career

In 1996, she started her career as a Media and PR Coordinator with the founding team of the Dubai Shopping Festival,[4] an annual event that established Dubai as a tourist attraction for shopping. In 1998, she took over the Dubai Summer Surprises,[5] one of Dubai's major initiatives that contributed in attracting visitors to the city during summer months.

Dubai Press Club

In 1999, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum assigned Mona Al Marri to establish the Dubai Press Club.[6] The Club contributes to positioning Dubai as a media and journalism hub and it's a platform for journalists and media professionals to discuss and deliberate political, economic and social issues. The Club also works to develop and support journalism on the local and regional levels through initiatives like the Arab Media Forum, the Arab Journalism Award, the Emirati Media Forum and the annual Arab Media Outlook report.[7]

Arab Media Forum

Arab Media Forum While leading the Dubai Press Club, Mona Al Marri launched the Arab Media Forum (AMF), which was inaugurated in 2001. The event evolved into a prominent media platform attracting over 2000 participants every year. The forum brings together political leaders, academia and intellectuals to participate and lead discussions. As head of AMF's Organizing Committee, Mona Al Marri engages with key media figures, editors in chief, well known columnists and journalists from the region and internationally.

Arab Journalism Award

As President of the Dubai Press Club, Mona Al Marri's launched the Arab Journalism Award in 1999 to celebrate achievements and excellence in journalism and honor distinguished journalists. The award is given each year by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum during the Arab Media Forum. It plays a role in motivating Arab media and encouraged Arab journalists to adopt innovation and creativity to develop their work.

Emirati Media Forum

In 2013, Mona Al Marri launched the Emirati Media Forum to focus on local media in the United Arab Emirates and serve as a platform for dialogue, similar to the Arab Media Forum. By focusing on local media, the forum provides a space to discover young talents and help them start careers in the media industry.

Arab Social Media Influencers Summit

First cycle of Arab Social Media Influencers Summit was held in March 2015.[8] The event was designed to shed light on experiences and stories of Arab and international social media influencers through a variety of workshops and panels that focused on positive communication and how to best utilize social media platforms as vehicle to overcome social challenges. The forum also discussed the relationship between traditional and social media and their role in shaping the future of the region. In 2016, the Dubai Press Club was assigned to manage and organize the event.[9]

Government of Dubai Media Office

In 2012, she was appointed as Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office, a government entity responsible for managing the media affairs of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum the Crown Prince of Dubai and His Highness Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum the Deputy Ruler of Dubai; furthermore, the Office manages relationships and coordination between the Government of Dubai and local and international media.[2][3]

Women Empowerment

Mona Al Marri is influential in the UAE as a female leader with contributions in the fields of women empowerment and gender equality which are recognized on the local and regional levels. Through her positions, she has helped transform the role of Women in the United Arab Emirates by applying the leadership's vision[10] into reality through many initiatives and projects that aim to improve Emirati women's engagements in the community and various economic activities.

Dubai Ladies Club

Following directives from Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Mona Al Marri established the Dubai Ladies Club in 2003.[11] The club offers fitness facilities, services, events and activities dedicated to nurturing the social, physical and cultural well-being of women. The club is for women only, and provides a private, safe and secure environment for women to engage in social activities. The club also works to inspire and empower women with new skills, and to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Dubai Women Establishment

After her success in establishing the Dubai Ladies Club, and under supervision of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Mona took the responsibility for establishing and developing the Dubai Women Establishment. Currently, Al Marri is the Managing Director and Chairman of Board of Directors of Dubai Women Establishment. Soon, the establishment became of the most active organizations in the field of women empowerment in the region.

In 2006, DWE kicked off its activities targeting a number of strategic objectives. These objectives include developing the skills and capabilities of Emirati women and encouraging her to positively engage in professional and social activities. In this regard, the establishment launched many programs and initiatives and drafted recommendations that will help the government legislating policies that expand the domain of women engagement in Dubai's communities.

UAE Gender Balance Council

In recognition of her contributions in the field of women empowerment and support, Mona Al Marri was appointed as Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council in 2015. The UAE Gender Balance Council was established to reduce the gender gap across all government sectors in the country; enhance the UAE's ranking in global reports on gender equality; and promote gender balance in decision-making positions. The Council also aims to launch innovative initiatives and projects that contribute to greater gender balance, which will position the UAE as a model for gender balance and a benchmark for legislation.

Global Women’s Forum Dubai

While presiding over the Dubai Women Establishment, Mona Al Marri accomplished many achievements. Perhaps the most significant is the Global Women Forum Dubai 2016, held for the first time in MENA in collaboration with the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society, Deauville-France. The historic gathering garnered local, regional and international attention. It presented many characteristics that make Dubai and the UAE one of the world's fastest developing regions in innovation, education and governance. The gathering served Dubai's vision to be the epicentre of international conferences and in alignment with the UAE's strategy in empowering societies through women.

Global Women's Forum Dubai reflects the UAE leaderships’ keenness to elevate the status of UAE women and will favourably represent the character of the UAE and its citizens at a global level.

Local and International Recognition

In 2015, Mona Al Marri was appointed as member of the UAE National Media Council. In the same year, she was named member of the Board of Trustees of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the region's biggest humanitarian and community development foundation that includes 28 subsidiary. The foundation comprises four sectors that are essential for improving human life: combating poverty and disease, spreading knowledge, empowering communities, and entrepreneurship and innovation for the future.

In recognition for her achievements and dedication in community service, the World Economic Forum selected Mona Al Marri as a 2014 Young Global Leader (YGL), an honour bestowed by the prestigious international organisation to recognize the most distinguished young leaders from around the world.

In 2002, Al Marri participated as a member of the jury committee in the 30th International Emmy Awards for Asia and Africa hosted in Dubai. In 2008, she was also named Outstanding Business Leader of the Middle East by the New York-based World BPO Forum.

Official Positions

Affiliation
  • Member of the WEF Global Agenda Council on Future of Media and Entertainment.[12]
  • Member of the Board of Trustees of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.
  • Member of the Board of Dubai Media Incorporated.
  • Member of the UAE National Media Council strategic communication steering Committee.
  • Member of the Executive Committee of Young Arab Leaders, UAE Chapter.
  • Member of the Board of Dubai Media City since 2001.

References
  1. Wam (2017-04-07). "Mona Al Marri Inaugurates Middle East Film and Comic Con 2017 at DWTC". Emirates 24|7. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  2. "Director General's Message". Government of Dubai Media Office.
  3. "MONA AL MARRI". Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  4. Reporter, Staff. "Dubai Women Establishment hosts knowledge-sharing session". www.khaleejtimes.com. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  5. Ved, Sima (2002-08-03). "Women Power: Talent to succeed". GulfNews. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  6. Report, Gulf News (2009-11-12). "Dubai Press Club marks 10th anniversary". GulfNews. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  7. Abu-Fadil, Magda (2012-05-07). ""Arab Media Outlook 2011-2015" Reports on Current, Future Regional Trends". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  8. Report, Staff (2015-03-02). "Arab Social Media Summit to host over 1,500 influencers". GulfNews. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  9. Report, Staff (2016-09-19). "Dubai Press Club to host Arab social media summit". GulfNews. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  10. "News". uaecabinet.ae. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  11. "H.E. Mona Al Marri". Cartier Women's Initiative Awards. 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  12. "Mona Al Marri". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
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