Nasser Al-Othman (L) and Turki Al-Sudairy

The Gulf Press Association (GPA) will hold its fifth conference at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Muscat on Tuesday. It will be attended by prominent media persons in the region including editors in chief of GCC newspapers and magazines.

A meeting of the association’s secretariat will be held on Monday prior to the conference hosted by the Omani Journalists Association.

Turki bin Abdullah Al-Sudairy, president of GPA, emphasized his organization’s efforts to improve the standard of media activities in the GCC, which groups Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE.

“We also work to enhance the capabilities of young GCC journalists including women by providing them with necessary training and guidance in order to play an important role in the profession,” he said.

He noted the important role being played by GCC universities in producing journalists by introducing courses in journalism, information and communication.

Nasser Mohammed Al-Othman, secretary-general of GPA said the organization would carry out a number of programs to realize its objectives. “The meeting of the general secretariat is expected to take a number of important decisions,” he said.

Al-Othman said the conference would discuss a number of important issues related to the media in the region.

“We expect it would take a number of resolutions on the basis of proposals made by members,” he added.

The conference will witness honoring of a prominent Gulf journalist in appreciation of his/her outstanding contributions, as well as a leading Gulf newspaper.

Awad bin Saeed Baquwair, president of the Omani Journalists Association, said: “We have decided to host the conference considering the important role being played by GPA to improve GCC journalism work, exchange ideas and discuss major issues that concern Gulf journalists.”

He said his association wanted to participate actively in GPA to realize its objectives and produce qualified journalists to deal with issues and events in the region.

The association’s last conference was held in Manama in April 2013 under the patronage of the Bahraini Information Ministry and Al-Riyadh newspaper.

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