The Arab Union for Media and Culture (AUMC) officially commenced operations from Cairo, marking a significant stride towards fostering deeper cultural ties and integrating media and cultural efforts across the Arab world.
Dr Hanan Youssef, President of the AUMC, announced the union’s launch during a press conference that convened prominent media professionals and intellectuals from across the region.
The establishment of this pioneering union, bringing together leading figures in Arab media and culture, is viewed as a strategic move to enhance cultural influence and drive societal change through cohesive media strategies.
The press conference, held in Cairo, saw the participation of delegates from Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen, the UAE, Algeria, Tunisia, and Lebanon, alongside representatives of the union and a broad online audience via Zoom.
Youssef outlined the AUMC’s ambitious work plan for 2025/2026, which includes a series of activities designed to bolster joint initiatives in promoting cultural impact.
The union’s major public launch will be marked by its founding conference at the end of June in Cairo.
This conference will be attended by the extended family of the Arab Organisation for Dialogue and International Co-operation, under whose umbrella the AUMC secured its operating license in late March.
The founding conference will also host a distinguished group of cultural and media luminaries, along with union representatives from all Arab nations.
A key highlight of the conference will be an intellectual symposium titled “No Media Without Culture. No Culture Without Media.” This symposium will serve as a platform to articulate the union’s overarching goals, elect members of the executive office, organise memberships both within and outside Egypt, and delineate tasks based on the union’s organisational, administrative, and legal framework.
During the conference, various representatives shared their insights and aspirations for the newly formed union.
Sofia Hammami, the AUMC’s representative in Tunisia, shed light on the challenges facing Tunisian media, expressing hope that the union would collaborate with regional bodies to establish a reformed media system.
She emphasised the AUMC’s commitment to highlighting media’s role in preserving cultural heritage, transmitting culture through media, and studying the interplay between culture and media on societal values.
Hammami further stated that the union aims to recognise and honour cultural journalists, engage with modern digital media, and foster a “cultural media that supports human culture.” She called for unifying culture as content with media as a means of dissemination and for promoting intellectual production.
Dr Ahmed Abu Daoud, the AUMC’s representative in Algeria, underscored the timely establishment of the union amidst debates about professional standards in Arab media.
He highlighted the union’s crucial role in defining media professionals, fostering networking among Arab media practitioners, and unifying visions to serve Arab causes.
Abu Daoud stressed the inseparable nature of culture and media, asserting that “media is practiced only by emerging from a base solidified with the assets of culture and general knowledge.”
Khaled Al-Majrashi, the AUMC’s representative in Saudi Arabia, concisely articulated the essence of the union, stating, “Any media without culture is worthless. And sometimes it is a media of destruction and discord.”
Dr Sit Al-Banat Hassan, the AUMC’s representative in Sudan, emphasised Sudan’s deep commitment to the union, recognising the pivotal role of media and culture in shaping awareness and strengthening regional ties. She highlighted Sudan’s historical role as a bridg.
