Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al-Qasimi, chairman, Sharjah Media Centre of the UAE, has joined the program for the 11th WAN-IFRA Middle East Conference, which is set at the InterContinental Hotel, Festival City in Dubai, from Feb. 24-25, according to WAN-IFRA’s announcement.

Currently, Al-Qasimi is deputy chairman of Sharjah Petroleum Council since 1999, chairman of the Anabeeb Pipeline Company since 2003, chairman of Basma Group since 2005,

chairman of Green Planet LLC since 2005, chairman of Sharjah Media Corporation since 2009,

member of the Sharjah Executive Council since 2000, chairman of WEKAYA LLC, a medical waste company since 2010, chairman of Sharjah National Oil Company since 2010, and chairman of Tilal Properties since 2014.

Al-Qasimi also holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Arkansas State University, Arkansas, USA, and a Master of Science in computer information systems from University of Detroit Mercy, Michigan, USA.

WAN-IFRA’s Middle East Conference is the annual meeting place for news publishers in the region, and this year’s conference is expected to draw some 200 publishers, CEOs, managing directors, chief editors and other media executives.

This year’s topic — Transforming media companies — will highlight how newspapers are responding to the challenge by constant innovation and implementing new ideas and business models.

In the keynote presentation, Michael Golden, vice chairman of the New York Times Company and former publisher of the IHT, USA, will discuss how his media company undertook its transformative journey.

In addition to speakers from Saudi Arabia, Dubai and the United States, the event will feature presentations and case studies from Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, and the UK.

Other confirmed speakers for this year’s event include Justin Kirby, VP-strategic content marketing at the UK’s Tenthwave Digital LLC, who will talk about Branded content: A survival strategy for the coming "adblocalypse."

Rodd Winscott, president of the US’ Topweb LCC’s printing division, will speak on inkjet printing for newspapers.

Professor Andrew Perkis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway,will focus on virtual reality in storytelling.