The vibrant grandeur of Qatar’s heritage will be displayed in a unique photo exhibition at the ‘Media Expo Qatar 2008’. The ‘Gulf Colours Company’ is taking part in the first ‘Media Expo Qatar 2008’, a media and advertising exhibition and conference, showcasing pictures reflecting the country’s history and tourist attractive areas. The event to be held at Qatar International Exhibition Center from December 14 to 17 has been organised by Dar Al Sharq, and sponsored by Qatar Telecom (Qtel), Qatar Media and Al Jazeera network. The function is also featuring three seminars which will discuss issues like ‘relationship between editorial policy and advertising’, ‘the issue of identity in the GCC press’ and ‘freedom crisis in Arab countries’. The pictures to be displayed on the photo expo were collected beginning from 1947. They reflect the historical monuments in the Arabian Peninsula, birds, falconry, people, shops, streets, forts, vendors, among other outstanding photos. Doha International Airport in 1971. Another stand close to the historical photo museum of ‘Gulf Colours’, ‘Qatar Vision Company’ has reserved a separate stand for exhibiting photos of Qatar, which have been taken recently. The photo collection replicates Qatar’s magnificence as a modern state and a centre of regional and international conferences. Qatar Vision’s Manager, Sheriff Hashiso, is renowned for significant success in organizing the event at the sideline of Asian Games 2006, which was hosted by Qatar. Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC), a Pan Arabic edutainment channel, is also participating in ‘Media Expo Qatar 2008’. JCC, which H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned has dedicated to all children in the Arab World, opens up avenues for Arab children to learn about different environments and cultures, as well as encourages them to learn and seek knowledge. Jassim Al Mutawa, the Operation Manager of Al Jazeera Children Channel, who had worked with Al Jazeera network since it was launched, has contributed to the launching of other channels under the umbrella of Al Jazeera network. Highlighting the mission of JCC, which was launched in 2005, Al Mutawa said the channel was the first Arabic children’s channel to present a debate show where Arab children express themselves and communicate their thoughts. Al Jazeera Children’s Channel is also the first to produce thematic magazines in Arabic covering different educational subjects: science, health, technology, sports, as well as competitions and quizzes where fun meets general knowledge. As part of the edutainment mission, JCC presents a range of discover-and-learn programmes, many of which are acquired from the international market to provide the children with information about other cultures, environments, and the world they live in. The channel also produces its own titles of animation and cartoon TV series at Arab production houses, as well as contributes to international co-productions with other children’s channels around the world, which adopt a similar public mission. Al Mutawa noted that JCC has deployed state-of-the-art studios and facilities, inside its headquarters in the ‘Education City’, to ensure high-quality TV production. It produces about 40% of the broadcast programmes, and is committed to broadcasting new programmes for 8 of the 20 hours on weekdays and 9 of the 21 hours on weekends. The children channel is a free-to-air TV channel on Badr 3, Nilesat, and Hotbird reaching all Arab countries and Europe. Asked about his opinion on the ‘Media Expo Qatar 2008’ which is taken place in Qatar for the first time, Al Mutawa said, “I believe Dar Al Sharq has exerted enormous efforts for organising the function. Such events can further enrich the country’s experience and would serve both the private and public institutions.” Shariff Hashisho, CEO of Qatar Vision – a media company specialized in producing TV programmes, documentaries, and commercials and in organising festivals, said that Qatar Vision has almost organised 80 percent of the cultural events and festivals that have taken place in Qatar. The company, which was established in 1993, was the exclusive representative of MBC channel and Dubai business channel. Accordingly, all shows of these channels were executed by Qatar Vision. The ‘Media Expo Qatar 2008’ will be an important opportunity for Qatar Vision to promoting its activities to the visitors, said Al Mutawa. Gulf Colours, the company which preserved Qatar’s history by collecting and documenting unique pictures of the country, its people and heritage, will be present at the Expo. Amjad Abu Dabsa, Gulf Colours’s Production Manager, noted that Mohamed Al Emadi, the founder of Gulf Colours, is the one who maintained those rare photos of Qatar and pass it to the current generation. The company’s stand will display 70 unique pictures which were shot in the fifties, said Dabsa. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=December2008&file=Local_News2008120134435.xml

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