The Council of Gulf International Relations (COGIR) has named Khaled Al-Malik, editor in chief of Al-Jazirah daily, as their Saudi and Gulf 2015 media personality.

The announcement was made by Tareq Al-Sheikhan, president of the COGIR, at the Middle East Conference for Media Strategies in Bahrain. The COGIR helped organize the event.

The award was received on Al-Malik’s behalf by Majed Al-Braikan, regional director of the newspaper. The prize rules stipulate that the winner should have worked in the media for over 20 years, defended press freedom, and helped develop the industry in the Gulf.

Al-Sheikhan said the award was in recognition of the progress achieved by Saudi journalists over the past four decades, to help develop sustainable institutions and build society.

He said it was also “a token of recognition and gratitude” from the COGIR for the achievements of the Gulf Association for Press and Free Media (GAPFM). The GAPFM is one of several non-governmental organizations linked to the COGIR, with members including Gulf editors and reporters that are committed to press freedom. It was founded in 2003 as a voluntary non-profit professional association for all media workers in the Arabian Gulf states.

Al-Sheikhan said the award’s shield and certificate was awarded during the opening ceremony of the conference in Manama, which was held on March 18 and 19 in collaboration with Promedia Global Kuwait, under the patronage of Nabil Al-Homr, media adviser to Bahrain’s king.

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