Dubai: The UAE Journalists Association held its regular general assembly meeting yesterday evening (Thursday) at its headquarters in the Muhaisnah 2 area of ​​Dubai. The meeting was attended by a number of association members, as well as Mr. Saeed Al Muhairi, Head of the Monitoring and Inspection Department, and Mr. Abdullah Al Muntaser, Monitoring and Compliance Inspector at the Community Development Authority in Dubai.

The meeting began with a welcoming speech delivered by Fadhila Al Muaini, Chairperson of the Association's Board of Directors, in which she expressed her deep gratitude and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for his continuous support of journalism and journalists in the UAE. She also extended her thanks and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for his continuous support of the UAE Journalists Association and for making the dream of all Emirati journalists to have their own headquarters come true by granting a plot of land and a financial grant of AED 20 million to build a building for the association in the Muhaisnah 2 area of ​​Dubai.

She emphasized that the association's building, dubbed "House of Words," has become an additional landmark embodying the UAE's commitment to supporting Emirati and Arab journalists and intellectuals, and hosts the association's activities at the regional and international levels.

The meeting's agenda included a documentary film reviewing the UAE Journalists Association's 25-year history, from its founding in 2000 to 2025, in addition to a video report on administrative performance and activities implemented during 2024.

Al Muaini commended the active role of the Community Development Authority in Dubai, which has significantly contributed to facilitating the association's work and enabling it to carry out its activities. She also thanked all members for their support, affirming the board's commitment to continuing to work on improving performance. She called on members to rally around their association with suggestions and ideas, and to actively participate in and support events and activities.

Al Muaini also reviewed the agenda items of the Ordinary General Assembly, which met its quorum. The minutes of the previous General Assembly meeting for 2024 were approved, and the association's administrative report for 2024 was reviewed. The number of events and activities reached 118, distributed among 29 media events, 3 social events, 13 visits and receptions for local figures and leaders, 11 local participations, 44 participations in events within the country, and 15 external participations, in addition to the signing of 3 cooperation agreements.

Activities also included professional, social, and sporting events, in addition to organizing specialized training courses and expanding the scope of external participation within the framework of the association's growing role at the regional and international levels.

The report also covered the agreements and cooperation protocols signed by the association during 2024, which aim to enhance the association's role and expand its scope of activities.

For his part, Hassan Omran Al Shamsi, the association's treasurer, reviewed the financial report and noted that the board of directors is working in coordination with relevant authorities to secure financial support to ensure the continuity of the association's activities. He explained that partnership contracts have been concluded with various entities to contribute to this effort.

The Ordinary General Assembly then approved the financial and administrative reports for 2024, and the auditor for the current year was selected from among the submitted proposals, in accordance with approved procedures.

Under the item "New Business," attendees discussed a number of proposals submitted by the association's members, including efforts to expand partnerships, attract investors, and utilize the services of private, for-profit institutions to provide additional services to members.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Al Muaini expressed her deep gratitude to the association's members for their attendance and positive engagement, emphasizing that the association represents the first home for journalists, and that strengthening its professional and social role is a shared responsibility that requires everyone's cooperation. She also affirmed the board's commitment to studying the comments and proposals submitted and working to implement them in a way that serves the aspirations of members and strengthens the association's progress.