Petroleum Media in the GCC countries' fact and ambitions

Under the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh/ Jabber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the State of Kuwait hosts the GCC Petroleum Media Forum during the period from 25th to 26th March 2013. The ministers of oil and energy in the GCC countries and the accompanying delegations, in addition to Arab and international petroleum organizations and the General Secretariat of the GCC countries will participate in the Forum. It is expected that the event will be attended by an elite of petroleum leaders in the GCC countries, in addition to a number of specialists in petroleum media and representatives of local and international news agencies, official and private TV stations and local newspapers in the GCC countries.

Under its objective, the petroleum media strategy stipulates "cooperation between the petroleum media in the GCC countries and the local and international media to defend for petroleum interests and attitudes". Its second objective includes "organizing a periodic petroleum media forum in the GCC countries, in which representatives of various media participate in order to exchange ideas and information, eliminate obstacles and promote cooperation among the media".

The idea of petroleum media strategy has been launched when the State of Kuwait submitted a paper on the petroleum media impact on the GCC countries in the Petroleum Cooperation Committee meeting, held in Doha in 2008. In its paper, Kuwait highlighted the role of petroleum media that is considered a main player in directing the public opinion and the basic engine of the economies of the GCC countries and the global economy. It also focused on the distinguished and global petroleum position of the GCC countries as they, in cooperation with all concerned parties, seek to achieve their petroleum interests and maintain stability on the global petroleum market.

The Petroleum Cooperation Committee in the GCC countries, in its 29th meeting, held in the State of Kuwait, on the 10th October 2010, decided to prepare petroleum media strategy, in coordination with the GCC Petroleum Strategy Committee. Therefore, the Committee of Petroleum Media Specialists in the GCC prepared the petroleum media strategy for the GCC countries. Moreover, the Petroleum Cooperation Committee, in its 31st meeting, held in Riyadh on 9th October 2012, welcomed hosting the 1st petroleum media forum in the State of Kuwait on March 2013.

The meeting will deal with certain main aspects that shed the light on the needs of petroleum media in the Arab Gulf countries in order to achieve the sought-after goals and objectives. In addition, it will discuss the important role of media in distributing and promoting the petroleum culture among the community members and evaluating the nature of the relation between the media and the petroleum sector in these countries. Moreover, it will seek to implement electronic evolution in increasing the role of petroleum revenues in the economic and social development process in the GCC countries and preserving the environment.

On the margin of the Forum, a media exhibition is launched and it will include special stands for the ministries of petroleum and energy in the GCC countries and Arab and international petroleum organizations (OPEC, OAPEC, International Energy Forum, the General Secretariat of the GCC, the GCC Joint Program Production), national petroleum companies in the GCC countries and a number of other participating media.