KUWAIT: Kuwaiti researcher Nada Abdul Rahman Al-Rifai, in her book titled “The March of the Kuwaiti Media from Originality to Renewal 1962-2022”, meticulously examines the significant milestones and phases in the evolution of media in Kuwait. This initiative is part of her commitment to documenting the Kuwaiti media experience across various stages.

Al-Rifai, speaking to KUNA on Wednesday, described her recently released book as a personal endeavor driven by her familiarity with the history of Kuwaiti media. She expressed her ambition for the work to serve as a reference for researchers and enthusiasts interested in Kuwaiti media and its institutions. In her exploration of the emergence of official and private media institutions in Kuwait, Rifai emphasized the antiquity and deep roots of Kuwaiti media, predating the establishment of formal media organizations.

She highlighted the historical significance of the Mubarak Kiosk as a hub for information and the dissemination of world news, intertwined with the bustling trade activities in Kuwait at the time. Rifai underscored Kuwait’s role as a pioneering media and cultural beacon in the region and Arab countries, serving as a launchpad for information, literary, cultural and artistic productions.

Regarding the current media landscape in the country, Rifai, the former head of the information documentation center at the ministry of information, commended the strides and advancements witnessed by Kuwaiti media in adapting to digital transformations. She noted the concrete steps taken by Kuwaiti media in cyberspace through various platforms and accounts on networking sites.

Rifai linked discussions about Kuwaiti media, its development, and achievements to the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, whom she referred to as “the founding father of Kuwaiti media”. Sheikh Sabah played a crucial role in the Department of Publications and Publishing, issuing the official gazette of Kuwait (Kuwait Al-Yom), establishing the government printing press and overseeing the publication of the magazine “Al-Arabi”, before becoming a minister in 1962.

The new edition of the book, spanning 280 pages and divided into five chapters, delves into the emergence of Kuwaiti media, its developments, transformations, and achievements. The content, reviewed by researcher Saleh Al-Masbah, also documents events and facts witnessed by the ministry of information and Kuwaiti media institutions, including profiles of media personalities and their accomplishments.

The first chapter examines the march of the official media, its origins, foundational elements, and leadership. The second chapter explores the Kuwaiti media discourse, while the third chapter focuses on the ministry of information’s journey towards digital transformation. The fourth chapter delves into the ministers of information in Kuwait, detailing their resumes and achievements. The final chapter provides an analytical and statistical reading of the developments within the ministry of information. — KUNA