Qatar News Agency (QNA) was established in May 25th to become the first Arab news agency dedicated to covering the Gulf region. It is one of Qatar's achievements in the field of information.

QNA follows up news and activities of both private and government sectors, publishes them and shows the country's achievements in all spheres inside and outside the country.

The agency also provides media services to various state media organs through correspondents at home and abroad. Moreover, The agency is constantly coping with professional and technical developments and changes in its work domain and benefit from them and participate in media exhibitions, press conferences and media coverage of conferences and events at home and abroad.

Oman News Agency (ONA) was established by Royal Decree No.39/86 issued on 29-5-1986. Afterwards Royal Decree No. 43/97 issued on 25-6-1997 established the Oman Establishment for Press, News, Publication and Advertising (OEPNPA) to include ONA as part of the OEPNPA departments.

ONA is the official channel for news about the Sultanate and it is the centre which receives daily news and reports from the various parts of the world and reproduces what it sees appropriate through its network to other media inside the Sultanate and abroad. ONA has successfully carried out its duties domestically and abroad and it continuously improves its performance to achieve its objectives.

The Emirates News Agency, WAM, (Wakalat Anba'a al-Emarat), was established in November 1976 by decree of the Minister of Information and Culture of the United Arab Emirates. Transmission of its Arabic language service commenced on 18th June 1977, and of its English language service in December 1978. Transmission is from 08.00 am until 01.00 am, except on special occasions, when transmission times can be extended.

WAM is a member of the Group of Arab Gulf Co-operation Council newsagencies, the Federation of Arab News Agencies, FANA, the Islamic Newsagencies Union, the Pool of Non-Aligned Newsagencies and of OANA. WAM has a total of 180 employees inside the United Arab Emirates, with 22 foreign reporters in countries elsewhere in the region and in major international capitals.

Its headquarters is in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, with other offices in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah, Fujairah, Al Ain and Medinat Zayed.

WAM – The Emirates News Agency also operates a website, with services in both Arabic and English. www.wam.org.ae

Since it was established, WAM has kept abreast of changes in technology, and now distributes its news and picture services by satellite, both locally and internationally. Over 90 per cent of its photographs are now available in digital format, which has helped both to expedite performance and to cut costs and time.

During 2002, WAM signed three new agreements for bilateral co-operation and exchange expertise, information and news with the Sudan News Agency, SUNA, the Malaysian National News Agency, BERNAMA, and the Russian News Agency, NOVOSTI.

In 2001, it signed co-operation agreements with the Chinese News Agency, XINHUA, the Kuwait News Agency, KUNA, the Jordanian News Agency, PETRA, the Indonesian News Agency, ANTARA, and the Yemeni News Agency, SABA.

WAM also devotes considerable attention to the training of its own staff, and those of other UAE media establishments. In 2001, a training course was organised, together with the BBC, on Practical Journalism in an open society with the participation of a number of local journalists from different media institutions, while 27 local editors were sent in 2000 and 2001 on training courses in Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Tunisia, India and Syria.

The Arab Press Agency, an independent agency established in 1987, is an elite institution that probes beyond news listings to deliver a clear message.

APA also publishes a number of print media in Egypt and the Sultanate of Oman and works in collaboration with several reputable journalism and press institutions across the Arab world.