The session titled ‘The Arab Image in the West’, that was part of a Dubai global conference the experts were exploring the need of innovative efforts to change the negative image of the Arab world in western media.

The session was moderated by Saudi journalist Faisal Abbas, Nathan Tek, US State Department spokesman for the Middle East and the Gulf; Mark Donfried, executive director and founder of the Berlin Institute for Cultural Diplomacy; and Hadley Gamble, reporter of CNBC in the Middle East.

According to Khaleej Times, the American diplomat pointed at the presence of a large group of branches of the American University in Arab cities as one of the means that can contribute to building a bridge between the Arab and American cultures.

“The positive developments in the Arab countries, such as the UAE Space Programme and Saudi government’s development package, can contribute to spreading a positive image of the Arab world in the West. We need to develop short and long term strategies to promote the process of cultural exchange,” he noted, suggesting that media should consider new focus on positive news about the Arab nations.