WAM Expands News Service to Include 5 New Languages

Emirates News Agency (WAM) has expanded its news services adding five new languages, which brings the total to 13 languages ​​covering 142 countries around the world.

The five new languages are German, Italian, Turkish, Persian and Hindi, which cover 42 countries. WAM’s existing news service is broadcast in six languages ​​covering about 100 countries. In September 2017, the Agency had added French, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Urdu, to its services, in addition to the original Arabic and English.

Expanding the Agency’s news service strengthens the UAE’s cultural sector, enhancing the country’s positive image, highlighting its world-class achievements, and spreading its message of tolerance and moderation. The continuous development plans for WAM are part of the National Media Council’s (NMC) vision to promote the UAE’s media sector, and empower it to spread the UAE’s message and reflect its image as an international model for tolerance and coexistence among various races and religions by catering to audiences across all continents.

His Excellency Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of State and NMC Chairman, said: “The UAE has come to assume a distinguished international position and is carrying on with its journey towards ground-breaking achievements across all sectors, guided by the vision and directives of the UAE’s wise leadership, which spares no effort to facilitate and support success and excellence across various sectors in the UAE.”

“The National Media Council plays a pivotal role in highlighting the UAE’s accomplishments, and the expansion of WAM’s services to include five new languages ​is a great addition as it creates new channels of communication with diverse people around the world, addressing them in their languages. This, in turn, reflects the UAE’s commitment to offering support and forging friendships with other countries around the world,” H.E. Al Jaber added.

“This latest expansion establishes a prominent new channel to deliver the UAE’s message and values internally and externally,” H.E. said, noting that the UAE has become a model of tolerance and co-existence, with more than 200 nationalities and backgrounds on its soil.

For his part, Mohamed Jalal Al Rayssi, Executive Director of Emirates News Agency (WAM), asserted that in its first phase, the Agency’s languages project was positively received in the countries where WAM’s news services were offered. “We have been working to develop this project, adding five new languages that cover 42 countries around the world, which facilitates the broadcast of the UAE’s news and its message to a wider audience in 142 countries in total,” Al Rayssi said, adding: “Phase one of the project witnessed an increase in coverage of the UAE, after news were translated to French, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Urdu.

The upcoming phase will see WAM strengthen communication channels with the countries where the five new languages are spoken, Al Rayssi concluded, revealing that the Agency also intends to sign cooperation agreements to further empower WAM to spread accurate, credible and objective news.