From TV’s Beginnings to AI: UAE Broadcasting History Showcased at Arab Media Summit in Dubai

As the 25th Arab Media Summit explores pressing questions about the future, a special section showcasing the beginnings of television broadcasting in the UAE captured the attention of guests and visitors. Discussions at the summit covered topics ranging from the use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms and content creation to the future of business journalism, the “crisis of truth,” piracy challenges, and the impact of platforms such as TikTok.

The section featured a collection of historic broadcasting equipment that remains operational and continues to transmit in high quality. It served as a bridge between the past and the present. The pavilion drew significant interest from Generation Z visitors, who did not experience the early days of broadcasting and grew up in the era of smart devices and digital live streaming.

Media personalities expressed their admiration for the initiative. Tunisian journalist Arabia Ben Hadi highlighted the value of revisiting these memories amid the country’s remarkable development. She stressed that the UAE has become a destination for Arab and international media. Meanwhile, British visitor Sarah Richard said this connection between the past and the present is characteristic of Dubai, which continues to look to the future and advance ahead of the world.

Journalist Widian Abu Jalal said Dubai is building the future while remaining rooted in its history.

Journalist Maya Hajij also noted that, while the summit addresses the most pressing digital and technological challenges, it also introduces younger generations to the early beginnings that paved the way for this remarkable development.

These displays evoke the history of television broadcasting in the UAE, which began in Dubai on September 9, 1969. Television became a window to major events and the wider world during a period marked by historic global moments, including the moon landing. Abu Dhabi TV began broadcasting in December 1969 as the UAE’s first television station, initially in black and white before switching to colour in 1974. Sharjah TV followed in 1989 and later developed within the Sharjah Media Corporation to help train national media talent. This progress paved the way for the launch of numerous government and private television channels, as well as local radio stations, across the country’s emirates in the decades that followed.