The General-Secretariat of Arab Journalism Awards (AJA) today announced new Board of Directors comprising a number of distinguished Arab media personalities to oversee the awards over the next three years. Khalfan Al Roumi, former Minister for Ministry of Information and Culture in the UAE, will head the AJA Board of Directors.

Other board members include Ahmed Bahbahani, President of Kuwait Journalists' Association, Mohammad Yousuf, Chairman of the UAE Journalists Association, Sakina Fouad, Egyptian journalist and writer, Abdulellah Balqaziz, a Moroccan writer and intellectual, Dhaen Shaheen, Executive Director and Editor-in-chief of Al Bayan, Ghassan Tahboob, Vice-President - Media Studies.

At the Executive Office of Dubai Government, Nassir Al Dhahiri, eminent UAE Journalist, Dr. Hessa Lootah, Associate Professor - UAE University, Jameel Matar, Editorial Board Member at Shorooq newspaper in Egypt, Raed Barqawi, Editor-in-Chief, Al Khaleej UAE newspaper, Ramadan Al Rawashdeh, Director-General Jordan News Agency (Petra), George Samaan, Chief Editor, Al Hayat LBC, Dr. Ali Karni, Saudi writer, Mohammad Barakat, Editor-in-Chief, Al Akhbar Newspaper, Ahmad Abd Al-Malik, Qatari writer, and Muhyee Aldeen Amaymoor, journalist, writer and former Algerian Culture and Media Minister.

Maryam Bin Fahad, Executive Director, Arab Journalism Awards, said: "The formation of the new board assures the Arab Journalism Awards' commitment to serve the Arab media sector and encourage them to be innovative. We are confident the new board members will utilize their rich and unique insights to enhance and develop the industry further."

Since its inception in 1999 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Arab Journalism Awards has so far honoured 122 journalists from across the Arab world.

The most recent edition of Arab Journalism Awards received over 3,500 submissions from 19 Arab countries for 12 categories that were evaluated by a panel of 60 judges including media experts from across the world. This shows a 13 per cent increase over the entries received in 2009.