Try GOLD - Free
GUIDING THE NARRATIVE
Forbes Middle East - English
|February 2025 ENG
Mona AI Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office, and President of the Dubai Press Club, has been pivotal in shaping the emirate's media landscape. Now she's bringing Al, filming, and gaming into the spotlight.
In December 2024, the announcement of new legislation expanding the Dubai Media Council's mandate marked a transformative phase for Dubai's media landscape. Under this framework, industries like film and gaming received heightened focus, with the creation of the Dubai Films and Games Commission. For Mona AI Marri, who has been at the helm of Dubai's media landscape for over two decades, this legislation is her compass today to lead the sector into a new era.
AI Marri has been the vice chairperson and managing director of the Dubai Media Council since 2021. She is also the director-general of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO) and the president of the Dubai Press Club (DPC). The GDMO is responsible for implementing strategic communication plans for the Government of Dubai and sharing government-related news in cooperation with local government agencies. It also manages relationships and coordination between the Government of Dubai and local and international media.
The U.A.E.'s media market is projected to grow by 2.14% between 2025 and 2029, reaching a market volume of $2.83 billion by 2029, according to Statista. And as she leads an industry that is set for this much growth, AI Marri says she has a clear roadmap to follow, describing it as a "transformative phase for Dubai's media landscape." Commissioned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid AI Maktoum to "enhance Dubai's narrative on the global stage," AI Marri says that her various leadership roles along the way have provided her with a platform to drive this vision forward.
This story is from the February 2025 ENG edition of Forbes Middle East - English.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Forbes Middle East - English
Forbes Middle East - English
ROAD WARRIORS
APPLIED INTUITION'S COFOUNDERS ARE BUILDING SOFTWARE THAT CAN DRIVE EVERYTHING FROM PLANES TO TANKS TO AUTOMOBILES. BUT TO EXPAND BEYOND ITS $800 MILLION BUSINESS SELLING TECH FOR CARS, THEY WILL HAVE TO TAKE ON TESLA, GOOGLE, NVIDIA AND A HOST OF OTHER STARTUPS JOSTLING FOR POLE POSITION IN THE AUTONOMY RACE.
9 mins
March 2026 - English
Forbes Middle East - English
EGYPT'S 50 MOST VALUABLE COMPANIES 2026
Egypt's stock market staged a sharp rebound in 2025, with total market capitalisation rising more than 40% to $67.3 billion as of January 2026.
1 mins
March 2026 - English
Forbes Middle East - English
How The Middle East's Biggest Companies Are Rewriting Their Playbooks
From oil and utilities to telecoms and banking, the region's largest firms are rethinking how they operate - shifting capital, embracing AI, and rebuilding for a very different decade ahead.
5 mins
March 2026 - English
Forbes Middle East - English
Music, Without Borders - Spotify And The Rise Of MENA Talent
As Spotify expands across the Middle East and North Africa, the question is no longer whether the region’s music can travel it already does. The real issue isn't reach, but power who captures the value created, and whether global platforms are helping build durable creative economies or simply scaling distribution.
4 mins
March 2026 - English
Forbes Middle East - English
WHY LAMBORGHINI ISN'T GOING FULLY ELECTRIC
THE CAR INDUSTRY SAYS THE FUTURE IS SILENT. LAMBORGHINI IS BETTING THAT EMOTION STILL MATTERS MORE.
3 mins
March 2026 - English
Forbes Middle East - English
'Lotus' Lowdown
Set-jetters who want to say they stayed at the hotel from The White Lotus Season 4 before it even started filming should start booking now.
1 min
March 2026 - English
Forbes Middle East - English
Why WHOOP Thinks Wearables Have Been Solving The Wrong Problem
As wearables compete to measure more of the human body, WHOOP is making a quieter case: the real problem was never data collection. It was knowing what to do with it.
2 mins
March 2026 - English
Forbes Middle East - English
The Al State: How Gulf Governments Turned Artificial Intelligence Into Critical Infrastructure
Artificial intelligence is now a core layer of national infrastructure across the Gulf, shaping decisions around what is built locally, what is shared, and how dependence is managed.
3 mins
March 2026 - English
Forbes Middle East - English
FUTURE WRIST
Industrial designer Marc Newson has created luggage for Louis Vuitton, pens for Montblanc and bottles for Hennessy, but the 62-year-old Australian has always had a special passion for timepieces.
1 min
March 2026 - English
Forbes Middle East - English
RESTAURANTS THAT MATTER NOW
The Middle East has quietly become one of the world's most interesting places to eat - not because it's chasing trends, but because it no longer needs to. There is depth now: chefs who understand their craft, kitchens that know their audience, and restaurants built to last rather than open loudly. This is not a ranking or a review. It's our edit of the places setting the pace right now - the ones you trust when the choice matters.
1 mins
March 2026 - English
Listen
Translate
Change font size
