Star speakers flock to media conference

The director-general of Middle East news channel Al Jazeera and the chairman of Bahrain-based conglomerate the Kanoo Group have confirmed they will speak at next week's Arabian Business Media & Marketing Conference.

Al Jazeera boss Wadah Khanfar will give a half hour keynote address on 12 November at 9.30am. He is expected to describe his experiences working as a journalist in Iraq and what he sees as the main challenges the media industry faces.

Khanfar’s appearance is a major coup for the conference as he was voted the Arab world’s third most powerful person in this year’s Arabian Business Power List.

Khanfar will speak on the same morning as Emaar Chairman Mohammed Alabbar - number two in the same list.

Kanoo boss Mishal Kanoo, meanwhile, will speak on November 12, addressing the question, “Is journalism in the Middle East just PR fluff?”

The conference begins on November 11 at 2pm and will be chaired by ITP Chairman and former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil.

Alabbar and former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan are to headline this year’s event, and other speakers include Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Amanda Bennett, Etihad CEO James Hogan and Virgin Atlantic Communications Director Paul Charles.

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