The Launch Took Place At DIBF 2026 On May 22. The Encyclopedia Opens With 100 Curated Terms, Available In Text And Audio Now, Video Within Four Months. Future Editions Are Already Planned.
According to The Peninsula Qatar, Qatar Media Corporation launched the first edition of the Media Encyclopedia at the cultural salon of the 35th Doha International Book Fair, in the presence of media professionals, intellectuals, and visitors.
The initiative aims to document media concepts, theories, figures, and institutions within an academic framework, support Arabic-language media knowledge, and keep pace with rapid digital transformation. It also seeks to enhance critical awareness and improve media discourse across the Arab world.
Mohammed Salan Al-Marri, the General Supervisor of the Encyclopedia, revealed that the launch begins with 100 carefully curated terms, forming the project’s first building block. These entries will initially be available in text and audio formats, followed by video versions within the next four months.
A panel discussion accompanied the launch, featuring Executive Director of the encyclopedia Mohammed bin Sulaan Al Marri and Chairman of its Scientific Committee Dr. Mohammed Al Khatib. The session highlighted the encyclopedia as a knowledge-based Arab initiative aimed at reassessing widely used media terminology, analysing its intellectual and cultural dimensions, and strengthening the presence of Arabic in media discourse.
Journalist Ahmed Al Sheikh stressed that the media today needs a gateway to knowledge to understand the world around it, especially given the proliferation of terminology and that the encyclopedia’s significance lies in providing an opportunity to verify the accuracy of information circulating globally.
He said the encyclopedia will become a key reference for media professionals across the Arab world, contributing to the development of the regional media landscape, with future editions planned to further enrich the sector in Qatar and beyond.
The 35th Doha International Book Fair which ran from May 14 to May 23 was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Qatar and featured 910 exhibition booths, over 500 publishers and 900 exhibitors from 36 countries, presenting more than 1.85 million books across approximately 231,000 titles.
The Media Encyclopedia is not a catalogue. It is an institutional effort to bring academic rigour to a media environment that has been reshaped faster than its terminology has been documented.
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