Dubai Media Council Seeks Stronger Ties With SONY Group To Advance Local Media

The Dubai Media Council (DMC) is seeking to enhance collaboration with SONY Group Corporation, a global leader in gaming, entertainment, and electronics. This initiative aligns with DMC's strategy to strengthen ties with international media players and support Dubai's media sector growth. The move also aims to boost local creative media talent through knowledge exchange with top global innovators.

Nehal Badri, Secretary-General of the Dubai Media Council, highlighted SONY’s expertise in electronics and media technologies. She affirmed DMC's commitment to expanding partnerships with leading media enterprises worldwide. This aligns with H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed’s vision to transform Dubai's media landscape. Badri noted that the collaboration would offer opportunities for knowledge exchange and training programmes aimed at nurturing promising talent.

Malek Sultan Al Malek, Director-General of the Dubai Development Authority and Chairman of TECOM Group, emphasised that Dubai's rise as a leading media hub has been driven by strong partnerships with major Arab and international media companies. He expressed pride in TECOM's collaboration with SONY and looked forward to expanding the partnership.

A meeting at DMC headquarters included key figures such as Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), and Mohammed Al Mulla, CEO of Dubai Media. Toshimoto Mitomo, Senior Advisor at SONY Group Corporation, also attended alongside other senior executives from SONY. Discussions focused on Dubai's evolving media landscape and plans to drive new media growth.

Mohammed Al Mulla stressed Dubai Media’s commitment to adopting the latest audiovisual technologies across its divisions. He noted that advanced technological solutions are crucial for delivering high-quality content. Strengthening partnerships with leading global media technology providers like SONY supports this objective.

Challenges and Opportunities

The meeting addressed challenges facing regional and global media industries while discussing creative approaches to overcome them. Emphasis was placed on developing a skilled workforce capable of using modern technologies to produce world-class content. The need to meet audience expectations with high-quality content while tackling challenges posed by new technologies was also highlighted.

Malek Al Malek mentioned that the media sector is a core focus for TECOM Group. The organisation continues to drive industry growth by investing in content production and emerging fields like electronic gaming, which holds significant regional and global potential.

SONY’s Perspective

Toshimoto Mitomo praised Dubai’s growth as a major regional media hub. He expressed SONY's appreciation for DMC's ambitious goals and enthusiasm for exploring new avenues for collaboration. He highlighted the importance of leveraging SONY’s extensive capabilities in both media equipment and expertise to support Dubai Media’s development goals.

Nehal Badri stressed the need to train talented Emirati professionals in media skills necessary for producing high-quality local content that meets global standards. She said this collaboration would help lay the groundwork for strong ties with SONY, particularly in sectors like music production and digital gaming.

Mohammed Al Mulla voiced eagerness to deepen collaboration with SONY in the coming years. He noted that this partnership is especially relevant given SONY’s efforts to enhance visual, audio, print, and digital content across platforms.

"During the meeting, we explored new opportunities for collaboration with one of the world’s foremost media technology companies," he added. "We look forward to leveraging SONY’s extensive capabilities to support Dubai Media’s ambitious development goals."

The meeting was attended by Hesham Al Olama, Director of Strategy and Performance at DMC, along with senior executives from both organisations including Kohei Furukawa, Senior Vice President at SONY; Yuhei Yabe, Head of New Business Development; Erik Shuntaro, Executive Business Director; among others.

With inputs from WAM