Name: Mohamed Sulaiman AlMulla Designation: CEO, Dubai Media Inc. Years in the industry : Since 2001 Other roles / board memberships : Board Member – Dubai Media Council
Mohamed AlMulla is a visionary leader in the media and entertainment industry. With a career spanning more than two decades, he has held prominent positions and made significant contributions to the growth and development of various organisations in the UAE. AlMulla brings a wealth of experience from diverse media and entertainment business segments, and has consistently displayed a passion for innovation, strategic thinking and excellence in the media and entertainment industry. As the CEO of Dubai Media, he continues to drive growth, shape the future of the organisation and contribute to the flourishing media landscape of Dubai and the UAE.
In two years, ambition became delivery at Dubai Media. Across three fronts — platforms, partnerships and people — we have accelerated. The launch of Dubai+ digital platform, more than 20 strategic partnerships have been forged across government and the media industry, and the Al Bayan Economic Centre is now established. Built on a strong legacy, marked by Noor Dubai Radio’s 20th anniversary and 74 industry awards, this is momentum with purpose: creating new pathways for Emirati photographers and journalists to shape what comes next.
What is the media industry’s most valuable currency? Trust.
What will define the region’s next media chapter? Original stories with global reach.
What will unlock the region’s creative economy? Partnerships across the media ecosystem.
POWER ESSAY: BUILDING THE INDUSTRY BEHIND THE ARAB STORY
The Arab world has never lacked stories. What it still needs is an industry capable of capturing the full cultural and commercial value of those stories.
I believe the next competitive advantage for Arab media will be ownership – of ideas, formats, audience relationships and the value they create. Our region should not remain merely a market for global intellectual property. It should develop, own and export intellectual property of its own.
This requires us to reconsider how we define success. We must stop measuring it only by reach. Reach tells us how far a story has travelled, but not who owns it, whether the creators behind it have built sustainable careers or whether the value it generates is reinvested in the region. A more consequential measure is whether one successful production creates the foundations for the next.
Investing in original Emirati and Arab intellectual property is therefore an economic and cultural priority. When an idea is developed and owned in the region, its potential extends beyond a single programme or season. It can become a returning series, an adaptable format or a story that moves between television, film and digital platforms. It generates opportunities for writers, directors, journalists, producers and technical specialists, while creating value that can support further production.
It also gives us the confidence to explore experiences that remain largely absent from the screen. The changes taking place within our families, communities, cities and workplaces are not peripheral subjects. They are part of a significant regional story, and they should be interpreted by creators who understand their complexity because they have lived it.
Creators are the engine of this ambition, but talent cannot build a sustainable career through visibility alone. Emerging voices need prac…