The NMO will develop media plans, legislation, regulations and decisions on media development, while also monitoring their implementation in coordination with the relevant authorities.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, has issued a resolution establishing the National Media Office (NMO) as a unit affiliated with the Minister of Presidential Affairs.
NMO will operate with financial and administrative independence, and with a focused remit that will enable the office to deliver on its goals and carry out its responsibilities efficiently. To be headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the NMO is to have offices in the UAE and internationally, as directed by the Minister.
The resolution stipulates that the Emirates News Agency (WAM) will operate as a unit reporting to the NMO Head, with the agency to continue to be governed by its financial and administrative regulatory framework.
The NMO is mandated to operate in coordination and cooperation with the relevant authorities, and aims to streamline efforts to develop the national media sector in line with the UAE’s interests. It will also enhance the UAE’s status regionally and internationally as a key media hub; support and enhance cooperation between the UAE’s various media offices; and ensure high-level Emiratis in the media industry are equipped with media leadership skills.
To achieve its objectives, the NMO will carry out a number of duties, foremost of which are proposing and developing strategic media plans, legislation, regulations and decisions on media development, while monitoring their implementation in coordination with the relevant authorities.
In addition, the NMO will train and upskill Emirati talent in news media; develop and organise the roles of official spokespeople; represent the UAE at media conferences and events in the UAE and abroad; and conduct research within the media sector. The NMO will also work together with official and private media departments on national affairs and on developing strategic relations with Arab, regional and international media outlets in order to exchange best practices.
