The first Female Sports Journalists Forum will be held in Sharjah and hosted by the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST). Held under the slogan “It's Your Turn” the event will take place on February 4th during the third edition of the Arab Women Sports Tournament in Sharjah on 2-12 February 2016.

The forum is the first of its kind in the Arab world to host female sports journalists and will take place at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre in Sharjah with the first 40 female media personnel who register to have the costs of their accommodation, visas, and transportation covered free of charge providing they meet the qualifying

criteria. The offer excludes air travel and is only open to those from the Arab region. Registration is now open on the tournament’s website (www.awst.ae).

As stated, Noon Sports Corporation is the Golden Sponsor for the female sports journalists’ forum, in reference to the great importance of this event, which is held for the first time in the Arab world.

Registration to cover the tournament is open to female sports journalists from all over the Arab world, but they would have to pay the full expenses of their trip. Those who register on the website will also find an application form for registering in the forum.

The forum will discuss the challenges that face female sports journalists, present examples of successful female sports journalists, propose initiatives that would help female sports journalists obtain greater rights or equal rights to men working in the field, and introduce ways to make use of new media and social media in the sports field, appropriately and professionally, to serve female media personnel.
Nada Al Naqbi, Vice-President of AWST’s Supreme Organising Committee said, “The forum aims to highlight the challenges and prospects for female sports media personnel through creating an interactive platform for dialogue between sports representatives in the Arab region and the world on one hand, and the participating female journalists on the other. The forum seeks to provide a road map for women seeking to enter the field of sports media, or who wish to develop their sports media skills in order to become more professional, or to gain exposure at sporting events in general, and women's sports events in particular.

Al Naqbi added that the forum is ideal for female athletes who are members of sports clubs and federations, female sports media persons in the UAE and the Arab world, as well as journalism and communication students in universities and colleges.

The forum will open with a short film on women working in sports media and this will be followed by the first panel discussion titled "Contemporary Challenges...Me and Him,"
attended by Layla Samati, sports commentator on beIN Sports channels; Mohammed Jamil Abdul Qadir, president of the Arab Union of Sports Press; and Mohammed Abdul Aziz Al Subaie, director of marketing and rights management at beIN Sports channels.

The second panel discussion titled "New Media and Sports" will be attended by Evelyn Wata, member of the executive committee of the Association of International Sports Press (AIPS). The session will highlight the careers of two distinguished female athletes, Egyptian Habiba Mohamed Ahmed, a squash player, and Moroccan Thuraya Erab, a volleyball player. The founders of the “Emirati Sports for All” on social networking sites.

Adnan Hamad, the prominent Emirati media person, will moderate the third panel discussion called “Success Formula” in the presence of Mervat Hussein, the first Sudanese sports journalist; Susan Shalabi, member of the women's committee in the Asian Football Federation; and Algerian Hafeez Draghi, sports commentator in beIN Sports channels. The closing session will have the forum’s closing statement and recommendations.

Noon Sports Corporation’ management praised the idea of the female sports journalists’ forum, confirming that’s the sports media map is recently changing by the strong representation of women. The management added that women have been a proactive member in the media since long and her presence has become a significant footprint through her thorough knowledge and engagement in various areas, especially sports. Through the forum, Noon Sports will launch the first Regional Arab Women Sport Magazine.