Talent, creativity are focus of MENA Festival of Media

The first-ever Festival of Media MENA (Middle East-North Africa) conference, a global event with sites in Europe, Latin America and Asia, took place recently with industry leaders from media companies such as Google, Facebook and MediaCom discussing trends that are shaping media in the region.

The strategic partner for the event was Dubai Media City, the MENA region’s largest media hub.

The managing director of Dubai Media City, Mohammad Abdullah, was part of a panel discussion. His focus, he said, was "solving the talent conundrum."

“Dubai, and DMC in particular, has attracted leading international media companies over the past 15 years, and supported the growth of local companies; DMC is now home to 22,000 knowledge workers," he said. "The emirate is exporting talent across the Middle East and regional media companies, for example TV stations and publications, now look to Dubai as a place from which to recruit talent.

“In line with growth and demand there is always a shortage of talent, so it is of the utmost importance that we bridge the skills gap between students and employers, identify students who are passionate about working in the media industry, and ensure that they are given the right vocational skills for the sector,” he said.

The festival also focused on subjects such as media innovation, creativity and evolution, industry issues, branded content, advertising and social media.

“The Festival of Media is a true celebration of creativity and innovation, and we are delighted to have supported the inaugural Middle East conference," Abdullah said. "Dubai being selected as the location to host the event is testament to the widespread growth of the emirate’s media industry.”