Doha, May 20 (QNA) - As the world marks the Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, which annually falls on May 21, Qatari media is projected as an early model of openness to linguistic and cultural plurality through a decades-long milestone that includes the Qatar News Agency (QNA) and all communication means in the nation.

In this context, QNA has been positioning itself as one of the preeminent manifestations of this pathway, with its incremental expansion in multilingual news services since 1976, following its establishment in 1975.

This position demonstrates Qatar's diverse society and strengthens the nation's international media presence. Strikingly, Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 served as a catalyst for QNA to launch services in French, German, and Spanish.

In March 2023, it introduced real-time translation services in 26 languages through its website, utilizing AI-powered technologies.

In May, the agency added Russian, Hindi, and Urdu, in a move reflecting its commitment to engaging with diverse expatriate communities and cultures at home and abroad.

This breakthrough was not limited to QNA but also extended to Qatar's broader media landscape, including radio stations, television channels, and print publications.

As such, prominent Qatari media figure HE Saad Al Rumaihi emphasized to QNA that the State of Qatar has dealt with cultural diversity as an enduring part of its decades-long development and humanitarian project.

The Qatari media has played a pivotal role in deepening this concept early through launching multilingual programs and radio services, in addition to giving more space to a variety of communities to project their cultures and engage in public life, Al Rumaihi noted.

  Al Rumaihi further indicated that those who follow media history in Qatar would clearly discover that the nation has been committed since the mid-1970s to building a media model that is open to all cultures.

He added that during his stint at Qatar Television, there were programs in the Arabic language and others in English, alongside programs in French, as well as professional radio services that addressed resident communities in their original languages.

This orientation was not merely linguistic and media diversity, but a reflection of a profound philosophy based on human respect regardless of language or culture, Al Rumaihi underlined, affirming that this trend was intended to notify people that they are truly part of society and have the right to access information and media services in their mother tongue.

Al Rumaihi recalled that with the rapid progress of urban and economic development, and the increase in the number of residents from multiple nationalities, he early realized the importance of addressing these groups in their various languages.

It was essential to address them whether through radio, television, or press, not merely to relay news, but to promote cultural and social understanding, as well as deepen the values of mutual respect, he underscored.

Al Rumaihi further underlined that during that era, Qatari media was keen to cover the activities of multiple communities, whether in Arabic or foreign languages.

He recalled the existence of programs devoted to both Indian and Urdu communities, alongside a focus on English- and French-speaking communities, reflecting an early awareness of the critical importance of cultural diversity within Qatari society.

Media institutions were not looking at communities as merely resident groups, but as part and parcel of the socioeconomic fabric of the country, Al Rumaihi suggested, adding that there was an obvious commitment to hosting members of these communities in TV and radio programs to project their activities, cultures, and aspirations, thereby promoting coexistence and social cohesion.

  This openness, Al Rumaihi said, has not been separated from Qatar's vision and its leadership, which has realized for years that the world is moving toward greater cultural engagement and openness.

He added that media represents a key tool to portray a civilizational image of the nation and reinforce its presence both on the regional and global stages.

He reemphasized that the Qatari media experience in the field of foreign radio services is one of the trailblazing ones in the Gulf region, clarifying that the English program on Qatar Radio has been among the first platforms to provide daily content dedicated to non-Arabic speakers.

The radio, Al Rumaihi noted, offers them news, services, and information related to life in Qatar, as well as the projection of Qatari mores.

He highlighted the importance of Urdu Radio, which was launched in response to the presence of large communities from the Indian subcontinent.

This Urdu Radio, Al Rumaihi asserted, has played an important role in strengthening community awareness by familiarizing listeners with local laws and regulations, in addition to offering cultural and heritage programs that reflect their original environments, helping achieve a balance between integration and the preservation of cultural identity.

The media expert also addressed the French radio service, which later evolved into Oryx FM, noting that it has served as an important window for communication with the Francophone world and has contributed to projecting Qatar’s image to a wide global audience, particularly with the development of the country’s media role and its hosting of major events.

The Qatari press has kept up with this pivot toward cultural diversity as well, Al Rumaihi said, adding that local newspapers included pages in English and French, with publications in multiple languages issued on various occasions.

Factoring in all these milestones, Al Rumaihi noted that this demonstrates an enduring conviction that media must be capable of addressing all individuals.

Al Rumaihi cited the experience at the 1981 CISM World Military Championship, when he chaired the media committee, noting that a daily newspaper was issued at the time in Arabic, English, and French-a highly advanced step for that period, reflecting the robust focus on cultural and media engagement with a variety of participating nationalities.

  These early experiences, he said, literally prove that Qatar hasn’t only dealt with cultural diversity as a media motto, but rather as a true practice whose impact has echoed in enterprises, as well as media and cultural policies for decades.

Al Rumaihi stressed that throughout many years, the Qatari media has succeeded in entrenching a model that combines the preservation of national identity with openness to the world, leveraging this kind of diversity to serve society and promote its civilizational image.

Concluding his remarks on a positive note, Al Rumaihi pointed to Qatar’s thriving global presence in media and culture, alluding this to the long accumulation of work and clear-eyed vision.

He stressed that media has been one of the most consequential tools in building that presence through its capability to address the world in various languages and project a true image of Qatari society based on coexistence, openness, and respect for cultural diversity. (QNA)