Speakers at the session titled “Media’s Role in Hajj: Perspectives from Local and Global Contexts”, held Thursday – the last day of Hajj and Umrah Service Conference & Exhibition 2024, called for enhanced multi-media coverage and dissemination of annual Hajj practices through strong partnerships among various media organisations from across the world.
The session moderated by Hammam Juraid, Vice President of Saudi Strategic Partnerships and Communication, was addressed by Dr Abdullatif ALAbdullatif, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi General Commission for Audiovisual Media; Colonel Talal Al-Shalhoub, Spokesperson of Saudi Ministry of Interior; Akhmad Munir, President Director of Indonesian news agency ANTARA; and Shahid Saleem Khah, Director News of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aneeq Ahmad was also present in the session which was attended among others by senior Saudi government officials from various ministries and departments as well as media persons.
The speakers were unanimous in the view that there was a need to adopt strong media strategies for more effective dissemination of annual Hajj rituals across the world through partnerships between the media entities of Saudi Arabia and other countries and by using all modern tools of mass communication.
APP’s Director News Shahid Saleem Khan, while speaking in the session, highlighted the potential of partnerships between media entities and its importance to ensure multi-media dissemination of annual Hajj practices across the world, particularly in the Muslim World.
He viewed that new strategies with focus on the dissemination of Hajj and Umrah practices, should also be aimed at highlighting, promoting and presenting the soft and true image of Islam before the world, particularly the non-Muslims, so as to remove their misconceptions about the religion.
Shahid said the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) was already working with various media entities across the world for significant coverage of the Hajj practices and that cooperation could be further strengthened.
Speaking on behalf APP and its Managing Director Muhammad Asim Khichi, he informed the participants that APP and SPA, already having a news exchange agreement since 2005, were actively working together to disseminate the news shared by each other, including those related to the Hajj through their respective media platforms.
He further said that APP, which had news exchange agreements with around 50 media organizations from around the world, had the honour of multi-media coverage of the last year’s Hajj practices in cooperation and partnership with the official Saudi new agency.
For the purpose, he added that a strong media team from APP Islamabad travelled to the holy cities of Makkah and Madina during the Hajj Season 2023 and ensured an effective multi-media coverage of the pilgrimage.
Shahid informed the audience that owing to the APP-SPA cooperation and the hard-work of APP media team, over 450 multi-media news reports were released and published by the agency on its various platforms, including through Text Service, Video News Service, social media posts (Twitter, Facebook), and Website: “app.com.pk” in diverse languages.
He assured that APP would continue to play its role in an effective media coverage and dissemination of the Hajj practices with more energy, vigour, dedication and spirit in future as well.
The APP Director News on the occasion also made an on-screen presentation which depicted an effective coverage of the Hajj Season 2023 by Pakistan’s national news agency.
Akhmad Munir, President Director of ANTARA, Indonesian news agency, in his presentation / speech, also highlighted the importance of cooperation between the media organisations of Saudi Arabia and other countries.
He told the audience that ANTARA was also ensuing an effective coverage of the Hajj practices, a fact which was also evident from the posting / presence of its five correspondents in the Kingdom.
He also assured ANTARA’s continued cooperation and support in effective dissemination of the Hajj practices.
Abdullatif ALAbdullatif, CEO of the Saudi General Commission for Audiovisual Media and Colonel Talal Al-Shalhoub, Spokesperson of the Saudi Ministry of Interior, briefed the participants about the measures being taken by their respective ministries / departments in the areas of audiovisual facilitation and security respectively.
Later, the APP Director News also availed the opportunity of holding a meeting with SPA President Dr Fahad Alagran, and discussed the prospects of an increased and strong cooperation between the two news agencies not only in the Hajj coverage but in other areas of news cooperation as well.
Dr Fahad appreciated APP for an effective media coverage of the Hajj Season 2023 and expressed his desire for engaging more APP staffers for the Hajj Season 2024.
He also conveyed his good wishes for APP Managing Director Muhammad Asim Khichi.