ASBU Welcomes Joint Meeting of Regional Broadcasting Unions

As part of the 45th Ordinary Session of the General Assembly of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), held in December 2025 at the Royal ASBU Hotel in Tunis, a joint meeting of regional broadcasting organizations took place.

The meeting brought together the following unions and institutions: 

• Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU)

• Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)

• European Broadcasting Union (EBU)

• African Union of Broadcasting (AUB)

• Organization of Islamic Cooperation Broadcasting Union (OSBU)

• Conference of Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM)

• Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)

In his opening remarks, Mr. Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harthi, President of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), expressed ASBU’s pride in hosting this joint meeting annually as part of its General Assembly proceedings. He emphasized that partnership and cooperation are fundamental pillars guiding the Union’s work, programs, and strategic plans. 

He further noted that the outcomes of cooperation and partnership in 2025 were positive, highlighting the benefit gained by the various broadcasting unions from ASBU’s coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza. This coverage, provided through ASBU’s correspondents on the ground, was widely praised for its professionalism and credibility.

In his address, Eng. Abdelrahim Suleiman, Director General of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), outlined ASBU’s major achievements across various fields in 2025. He expressed pride in the strong and steadily growing cooperative relationships between ASBU and its partners. 

He also stressed the importance of keeping pace with rapid technological developments, noting that such advances enhance exchange and facilitate the flow of news and audiovisual productions among broadcasting organizations and unions.

Eng. Ahmed Nadeem, Secretary General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), stated that the Union is currently preparing to organize technology-focused conferences in the coming year. He added that work is underway in cooperation with ASBU to further develop news exchange through the integration of cloud-based systems.

Mr. Grégoire Ndjaka, Secretary General of the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), stated that the Union has recently been focusing on training media professionals in the fields of climate change and artificial intelligence. He announced the upcoming launch of an Artificial Intelligence Observatory for African media, as well as preparations to mark the Union’s 20th anniversary with a series of major events.

Ms. Beatriz Pastor y Puga, Head of Member Relations for the Southern Region at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), noted that the coming year will see further development of news exchange services using IP technology, along with enhancements to the sports platform. She also announced the scheduling of training programmes targeting media executives, focusing on operations, management, and leadership.

Dr. Amr Al-Leithy, President of the Broadcasting Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OSBU), stated that the Union is in the process of activating its news exchange unit, with more than 12 broadcasting organizations joining the news-sharing network and coordinating coverage of major events. He also noted that a programme for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers has been produced and distributed to member organizations.

Mr. Rabi K.C., Advisor at the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), stated that cooperation with ASBU has been ongoing since the 1980s, and that ASBU is one of fifty partners the Institute collaborates with. He added that last year the Institute organized a workshop on the use of artificial intelligence in media, particularly in news production.

Mr. Cappon Claudio, Secretary General of the Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM), stated that the Conference is focused on integrating new technologies into its activities and events, as well as digitizing sports-related activities, particularly those linked to the Mediterranean Games. He also highlighted efforts to develop the film industry and youth activities in this field.

Officials from ASBU’s various departments, training centers, and exchange units presented overviews of the Union’s ongoing cooperation with its partners: 

• In 2025, ASBU’s Media Training Academy further expanded its international cooperation network by strengthening established partnerships and launching new collaborations aimed at enriching training offerings and enhancing the exchange of expertise and knowledge.

• The Arab Radio and Television Training Center in Damascus maintained strong relations with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) and the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), delivering numerous engineering and programming courses, as well as participating in activities organized by ABU and AIBD.

• Through its News and Programme Exchange Center, ASBU continues to collaborate with international partners on the regional, continental, and global levels, exchanging news and programs and covering major events. This allows Arab news to reach a wider audience while providing access to news materials from around the world that interest Arab viewers across various fields.

• In collaboration with the Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM), ASBU completed the 10th edition of the Arab-European joint television production “Between the Shores” in 2025, titled “The Power of Art: Creativity for Change”.

• The joint production of the series “Arab Philosophers: Ancient and Modern” was completed with COPEAM under the radio basket system. This project involved extensive participation from contributing organizations, resulting in 27 episodes produced by 16 Arab and international broadcasters. The series is scheduled to air at the beginning of 2026.

Cooperation in the Field of Technology: 

• Strengthening collaboration in standardization and broadcasting, including alignment with international technical specifications and modern media standards.

• Organizing joint technical seminars and workshops to build capacity and enhance professional expertise among member organizations.

• Collaborating on the development and deployment of 5G-based broadcasting solutions, with a focus on next-generation content delivery methods.

• Facilitating the exchange of expertise, tools, and applications in open-source software related to broadcasting and media operations.

• Sharing key technical recommendations and strategic insights to support knowledge-based decision-making among member organizations.

• Cooperating on the European Broadcasting Union Content Distribution Network (EBU CDN) project and related initiatives, including online streaming (OTT) services.

• Coordinating with the HFCC to manage and harmonize frequency planning for shortwave broadcasting.

• Collaborating on the implementation of Early Warning Systems (EWS) within broadcasting distribution networks to enhance audience safety and preparedness.