Al-Midfa said that he looked forward to “opening new avenues of partnership with different media organizations in this field.” “We do have a lot of initiatives in our work, and every year there is an update,” he told Arab News ABU DHABI: Khalid Omar Al-Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Media City, or Shams, has told the Global Media Conference that the free zone authority is acting as a launch pad to encourage young entrepreneurs in the media and creativity business. Al-Midfa said that he looked forward to “opening new avenues of partnership with different media organizations in this field.” “We do have a lot of initiatives in our work, and every year there is an update,” he told Arab News. “This is actually the whole purpose for us as being a launching pad for companies, for startups, for entrepreneurs to start their journey in the media and creativity business.” Al-Midfa said that he hopes to expand Shams’ partnerships “not only within the Emirates, within the Gulf, but also on an international level.” Shams was established in 2017 as a free zone authority and multi-use media city in Al-Messaned, Sharjah. Its primary objective is to bolster licensed companies by offering training courses and innovative solutions. Al-Midfa said that although Shams operates independently, it seeks alignment with the UAE national digital media strategy. He highlighted cultural initiatives to disseminate Sharjah’s message globally, while also empowering young entrepreneurs. “This message (is) propagated via clever intellectuals working in the media sector and having the plans, having the knowledge, having the required infrastructure for them to talk to the world at large,” Al-Midfa said. “This actually constitutes a small part of soft power. And we believe that by empowering these young entrepreneurs, these companies, we are propagating this message of Sharjah and of the whole of UAE.”