Seminar on 'Media and Strategic Security': Enhancing awareness and appointing an official spokesperson to handle events

Participants in the Media and Strategic Security seminar, organized by the Retired Officers Association at the Socialists Association headquarters yesterday evening and moderated by Media and Communications Association president, media personality Madi Al-Khamis, agreed on the importance of media awareness as one of the pillars of national security. They stressed the necessity of having an official spokesperson capable of handling various events and developments, and responding quickly, thoughtfully, and decisively to all issues raised across different media outlets and social media platforms, thereby enhancing public trust in official channels, debunking rumors, and stifling them at their source.

For his part, academic and political researcher Dr. Aaid Al-Muna’ said that regional developments and the security situation experienced by Gulf countries in recent times require all of us to carefully consider means of protecting societies from the danger of rumors. He pointed out that Gulf countries have not been immune to threats, despite their relations with neighboring Iran.

He expressed surprise at the continuation of commercial and diplomatic relations between Gulf countries and Iran, considering that recent events, despite their harshness, revealed the strength of Kuwait and the capabilities of its army and institutions, which withstood more than 95 percent of Iranian strikes targeting the country.

Al-Muna’ emphasized the importance of having wartime media during crises, and the need to distinguish between information that should be disseminated and that which could pose a threat to national security if published.

He called on security agencies in Kuwait and Gulf countries to provide official platforms to supply media outlets with accurate information, in order to curb rumors and promote the Gulf narrative, which is under attack by Iran.

For his part, Director of the Media Studies Center, Dr. Saleh Al-Mutairi, reviewed his experience at Al Jazeera channel, pointing out Iran’s and Israel’s penetration into the region due to an Arab vacuum.

In his turn, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Gulf and Arab Peninsula Studies Center, Dr. Yaqoub Al-Kandari, stressed the importance of scientific research and studies that measure public opinion trends during crises, analyze various issues, and provide recommendations that assist decision-makers, affirming the clear deficiency in utilizing the outputs of scientific research.

For his part, President of the Socialists Association, Abdullah Al-Radwan, confirmed that recommendations from all seminars, forums, and conferences organized by the Association are sent to the Cabinet, as some topics relate to more than one ministry. Therefore, they submit their recommendations to decision-makers in the Cabinet for consideration and utilization.