The 11th International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) will kick off in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on September 28.
The two-day event underlines the importance of the role played by government communication in global economic issues.
It will address economic issues and ways to strengthen relations between various cultures given conflicts around the globe.
Tariq Saeed Allay, Director-General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), said the forum will discuss many rapid changes in the field of government communication.
The world has gone through many crises during the past decade, which demands renewing government communication methods, he remarked.
The event will be held under the theme, “Challenges and Solutions”, with the participation of over 160 speakers from around the world.
Allay told Asharq Al-Awsat that the economic crises and the coronavirus pandemic underlined the importance of renewing the role of government communication and its ability to contain crises.
Gulf countries have presented an exemplary model in the government communication experience during the pandemic, he stated.
He attributed this to the trust among the Gulf Cooperation Council states, their peoples and governments.
The GCC states succeeded in the education and remote work sectors, he added, noting that trust between the government and the people is the most important factor for the success of government communication.
Allay cited the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s successful experiences during the pandemic, adding that the forum will highlight them and point to the government communication concept as a science and industry.
He said the forum succeeded during the past 10 years in delivering Sharjah’s ideas, experiences and messages in the field of government communication to the whole world.
“Government communication is an ever-renewing field through which we raise various topics that are discussed by prominent figures, scholars, ministers, Arab and foreign artists and intellectuals through various panels and inspiring speeches, in addition to workshops and research seminars.”
UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Former President of Mexico and Honorary Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate Felipe Calderon, and Former President of the World Bank Group Jim Yong Kim are among the participants in the upcoming event.
