The general secretariat of the Arab Journalism Awards said it is accepting entries in 12 categories for the eighth edition of the annual event. The deadline for submission to the Awards is January 15, 2009.

The region’s most coveted recognition for journalistic excellence will give away cash prizes totaling Dh863,000 ($235,000) for best works in politics, business, investigative journalism, IT, columnist, culture, sports, environment, photo-journalism, caricature, interview and children’s journalism.

Maryam Bin Fahad, executive director, Arab Journalism Awards, said the recognition aims to acknowledge journalists who take the responsibility of portraying an accurate image of the Arab world in the region and beyond.

She added through the past seven editions, the Awards have consistently endeavoured to contribute to the progress of journalism in the Arab world, while motivating media persons in the region to excel by honouring the most outstanding achievers among them.

The Award ceremony will be held on April 15, 2009 as a fitting finale to the two-day annual Arab Media Forum that serves as a key platform for constructive dialogue among Arab and international media experts, she added.

In 2007, the Awards attracted 2,609 participations from 18 Arab countries. Egypt proved to be the most prolific participant, followed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.-TradeArabia News Service