His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, attended the launch today of “Madar for Media”, the commercial and creative arm of Sharjah Media City “Shams”, which specialises in the development and production of media and creative content, at the city’s headquarters.
His Highness was briefed on the strategic direction of “Madar for Media”, which aims to strengthen the media and creative industries ecosystem in the Emirate of Sharjah, support the sector’s economic sustainability, and open new horizons for promising media talent and projects. He also learned about its vision, future plans, and the integrated services it provides to support the media sector and content production.
Creative initiatives and future-facing services
The Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council was also informed about a range of specialised creative initiatives and programmes, including the “Comedy Club”, which provides a supportive platform for comedy talent and young content creators. The initiative contributes to the development of purposeful entertainment content and to strengthening the presence of contemporary creative arts in the local media landscape.
His Highness watched live demonstrations simulating filming in space and on planets, as well as promotional filming that supports the work of “Madar for Media”.
He was briefed on the working units within “Madar for Media”, which include training and development, social media and influencer management, podcast production, drama scriptwriting, film production services and location provision, in addition to the services of the “Madar AI” platform, which employs artificial intelligence technologies in the production and design of audio and visual content, making it a key focus in the development of future content.
Supporting sustainability in Sharjah’s media sector
“Madar for Media” is part of an integrated vision aimed at enhancing the financial sustainability of the media sector in the emirate and supporting growth pathways and content creation based on excellence and innovation, contributing to a more competitive and sustainable media environment.
The initiative relies on a flexible institutional model built around an integrated system of services and capabilities developed by “Shams” over recent years. These include modern filming studios, advanced audio and visual recording rooms, digital broadcasting-ready spaces, as well as influencer services, which are among the professional empowerment tools available to local creatives.
Agreements to strengthen cooperation and training
The launch also included the signing of two memoranda of understanding between “Madar for Media”, represented by Rashid Abdullah Al Obeid, Director-General of Sharjah Media City “Shams”; the “Maraya” platform التابعة لهيئة الشارقة للإذاعة والتلفزيون, represented by Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director-General of Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; and Nikon Middle East, represented by Narendra Menon, Managing Director of Nikon.
The memoranda aim to enhance cooperation in the development and production of media content, exchange expertise, and implement specialised training programmes that help qualify media professionals and support the use of the latest technologies in filming and production, thereby improving content quality and advancing the media and creative ecosystem in Sharjah.
The launch was attended by, in addition to His Highness, Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director-General of the Sharjah Digital Department; Omar Obaid Al Hassan Al Shamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Adel Abdullah Ali, Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia Group; Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director-General of Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of the Sharjah Media Council; Rashid Abdullah Al Obeid, Director-General of Sharjah Media City “Shams”; Major General Youssef Harmoul Al Shamsi, Director-General of Sharjah Civil Defence; and a number of officials.