The 51st General Assembly Conference of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA), hosted by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), concluded on Monday. The conference adopted recommendations and decisions aimed at strengthening joint cooperation, modernising workflows, and securing the future of Arab media.

The Conference was chaired by Dr. Jamal Mohammed Obaid Al Kaabi, Acting Director-General of the Emirates News Agency (WAM) and current President of FANA, along with the FANA Vice President and Director-General of KUNA, Fatma Al-Salem. Attendees included the directors-general and heads of Arab news agencies, or their representatives, and the Secretariat-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council as an observer.

The Conference discussed scheduling the 52nd General Assembly session in Kuwait, proposing to hold it in the last quarter of 2025.

Discussions centred on KUNA's proposals for a specialized children's media literacy bulletin, an AI journalism bulletin, and a news verification and rumour response observatory by KUNA. A proposal for Arab news agencies to contribute to KUNA's magazine during special occasions was also examined.

The conference approved the continuation of the joint economic newsletter (Economic News Unit) through 2025. Each agency will contribute periodically to the newsletter.

The General Assembly reviewed the outcomes of a workshop on building economic media reports, emphasising its role in developing skills among Arab news agency personnel. It recommended holding a new workshop and encouraged the participation of agency staff in the annual seminars and workshops organised by the Secretariat-General to improve work quality.

The General Assembly also approved the Secretariat-General's initiative to issue an environmental bulletin beginning in early 2025, modeled on existing bulletins, with data shared with news agencies' specialised sections for use in their bulletins.

Decisions included a recommendation for a study session on marketing and public and international relations to build strong relationships between Arab news agencies and bridge gaps within the Federation.

Additionally, a summary report titled “Lecture on the History and Concept of Public Relations” was distributed for agencies to review and discuss in a future study session. The importance of visiting European and international news agency headquarters was highlighted to foster development in media practices.

The Assembly also reviewed a report on a specialised course prepared by the Secretariat-General to enhance the skills of Arab journalists in sustainable development, in line with the decisions of the Arab Ministers of Information Council. The Secretariat-General was requested to resend invitations for a 2025 training workshop on the Arab Media Map for Sustainable Development 2030.