Monday, April 24, 2017

Dubai Public Diplomacy and Communication Network discusses key objectives at first meeting



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The Dubai Public Diplomacy and Communication Network held its first meeting today under the chairmanship of the Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO) Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri. Heads of communication departments of government and semi-government entities in Dubai attended the meeting.

The meeting discussed the objectives of the Network and its strategy to enhance Dubai’s government communication so that it highlights the emirate’s achievements and success stories effectively.

HE Al Marri welcomed the attendees and briefed them on the role of the Government of Dubai Media Office and its strategy, in addition to highlighting the objectives of the Network, which was launched recently under the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Network aims to find ways of better optimising government communication and addressing key strategic priorities by pooling the expertise of the members of the Network.

The Network, launched in March by Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on the sidelines of the Public Diplomacy and Government Communication Forum aims to streamline the communication efforts of its members and deploy public diplomacy and ‘soft power’ strategies to support Dubai’s government communication. HE Al Marri said that the UAE is one of the world’s most successful countries in using ‘soft power’ to deliver its message to the world. She said Dubai’s leadership has set a clear example in this area. She also said that the UAE has made major strides in using ‘soft power’ to convey its messages.

Al Marri further said that public diplomacy has become a key tool to achieve government communication goals and an area where Dubai can draw from global best practices and experiences to support the objectives of ‘Dubai Plan 2021’ and ‘UAE Vision 2021’.

She said the Network will serve as a platform to exchange expertise and knowledge between members through a number of means including an application that’s being developed exclusively to facilitate communication between members, and facilitate the sharing of the latest news and updates about Dubai. Al Marri also said that network will help enhance crisis management, which requires effective communication and the efficient sharing of information between relevant authorities, as well as with the media and the general public. She also talked about how the effective handling of the crisis resulting from the fire at the Address Downtown hotel on New Year's Eve 2016, under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, and the follow up of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, drew global praise. She said Dubai’s exceptional crisis management and the decision of HH Sheikh Mohammed to go ahead with the New Year's celebration, as planned, sent a positive image to the world about the city’s ability to deal with crises effectively.

The meeting also discussed the role of social media platforms, and the tools they provide to keep people informed and updated through breaking news and pictures. Attendees at the meeting also highlighted the importance of having a comprehensive strategy to optimally manage social media platforms and combat rumors and misinformation on these platforms.

HE Al Marri highlighted the important role of the Network in supporting the Dubai Executive Council in maintaining and enhancing Dubai’s reputation and dealing with any challenges through an effective communication strategy.

Senior Manager for Strategic Communications at GDMO Noora Yousuf Al Mansoori briefed attendees on the main features of the Network’s strategy and key interactions over the next few months, which will include workshops to discuss vital topics such as developing messages and media crisis management, among others.

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