RIYADH: GCC leaders meet during the 36th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in the Saudi capital Riyadh yesterday. Gulf monarchs began arriving in Saudi Arabia for an annual summit, facing challenges including plunging oil revenues, the war in Yemen, pressure for peace in Syria and signs of regional divisions. — KUNA

RIYADH: A number of officials in the external media sectors in the GCC information ministries have asserted the significance of participating in the 36th GCC summit - highlighting the cohesion between the people of the Gulf and achievements made by the GCC states in various fields. In separate statements with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) at the media and exhibition centers agreed on the importance of the role of these exhibitions in the dissemination of culture, knowledge and arts of the Gulf states and highlight the customs, traditions and heritage of the Gulf region.

They stressed keenness of their countries to participate in such events to highlight the achievements made by the GCC states and people during the GCC march. Director of the Conferences and Events department in the Ministry of Culture and Information Khaled Al-Shamsan told KUNA that the ministry has harnessed all its potentials for the service of the Gulf, Arab and international media men.

He added that the media center will be a meeting point for journalists from news agencies, newspapers and correspondents of radio and television stations and Gulf, Arab and international news outlets a matter which contributes to the strengthening of cooperation between such media bodies in highlighting the events of the summit at the Gulf, Arab and international levels. For his part, Chairman of the conference Committee of the external media sector Yahia Mufarreh expressed the ministry's keenness to take part in such events and made easy the missions of the journalists to cover the summit.

He explained that the Ministry of Information displayed at this media center a number of books issued by the ministry annually in an effort to provide clear and transparent message about Saudi Arabia reflecting its cultural renaissance. On his part, head of Media Exchange Department in the Foreign Media Department of the Ministry of Information of Oman Nasser bin Hamad Al Mukhaini said that the participation of the Omani Ministry of Information in the media center of the summit included display of a number of books that talk about the process of documenting the Sultanate's modern achievements.

In turn, Director of media coverage in the UAE news agency WAM Salem Ahmed Al-Nuaimi expressed keenness of the agency to highlight the achievements of the United Arab Emirates to the peoples of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), referring to the issuance of an annual book highlighting accomplishments of the country and its statistics. For his part, director of the research and evaluation department in the Gulf Cooperation Council media sector in Kuwait's Ministry of Information Mohammad Al-Ajmi stressed keenness of the Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Sabah on the need that Kuwait be present at a high level in the media center.- KUNA