Conducted by ECSSR on behalf of the Security Media Department

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Sunday, November 2nd 2014 [ME NewsWire]

From a sample study with 4,250 respondents from across the country, 35.9 percent considered social media to be the best way to receive the Ministry of Interior’s (MoI) awareness announcements and campaigns, whereas 27.8 percent considered malls as the best place to receive these announcements and campaigns.

On behalf of the Security Media Department at the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, a survey study conducted by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) was carried out in order to identify the best methods and areas in which the public prefers to receive the MoI’s announcements and campaigns. The survey showed that 55.4 percent of the public remembers MoI awareness campaigns that have been delivered over the past six months, and 37.3 percent of the public believe that TV was the most significant method through which these awareness campaigns were received.

In regards to the objectives of the study, Lieutenant Colonel Saeed Al Khajah, Deputy Director of Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department, said, “The study aims to identify the media outlets followed by community members of the UAE in all categories, including: TV, radio, newspapers, social media, direct interaction, texts, lectures, brochures, campaigns in malls and festivals, and others.

The campaign also aimed to identify what times people follow different media outlets, and the programs (topics) different community segments prefer to watch, listen to, and browse via each media outlet.”

Lieutenant Colonel Al Khajah added, “The study achieved additional objectives, such as identifying favorite media outlets for different community segments, as well as the proper outlet for each segment, based on nationality, gender, and age group.”

Among the findings of the study: 62.9 percent are satisfied regarding the MoI’s role in media and its awareness campaigns; and 98.1 percent of Arabs (citizens and residents) watch local TV channels with Abu Dhabi TV on top with 20.8 percent.

Lieutenant Colonel Al Khajah said, “92 percent of non-Arabs said they watch local channels. National Geographic Abu Dhabi was the most viewed with 28.5 percent, and 17.2 percent of Arabs said they watch this channel, following Abu Dhabi TV.”

The study showed that 90.5 percent of Arabs listen to local radio stations, with Al Quran Al Kareem Radio on top with 26.2 percent, and 61.3 percent of non-Arabs listen to local radio stations, with Dubai FM on top with 18.9 percent.

The study also showed that 17.5 percent of Arabs do not read local newspapers, while 39.9 percent of non-Arabs do not read local newspapers at all. For communication purposes, 87.4 percent of Arabs prefer the Arabic language, while 69.7 percent of non-Arabs prefer English, followed by 19.6 percent with a preference for Urdu. As for laborers: 52.9 percent prefer Urdu, followed by 19.2 percent who prefer English, and Bengali is last with 9.4 percent.  

The study has additionally shown that 35.9 percent of the public prefer social media as the best means of communication to receive MoI announcements and awareness campaigns; while 32.2 percent of the public rely on local channels; followed by 30.9 percent of the public rely on texts; 26.5 percent rely on the Internet; 21.9 percent rely on local radio channels; 21.8 percent rely on local newspapers and magazines; and 11.6 percent rely on festivals.

The study also concluded that 88.6 percent of the public use social media. WhatsApp came first with 57.7 percent of the public using the application, followed by Facebook with 55.1 percent, YouTube with 31.8 percent, Instagram with 28.7 percent, and Twitter with 27.8 percent.

Additionally, the study indicated that 27.8 percent of the public prefer malls as the best location to receive the MoI announcements and awareness campaigns; followed by the workplace with 16.5 percent; then schools with 14.3 percent; roads and streets with 12.4 percent; homes with 11.5 percent; and universities and colleges with 7.8 percent.

Media Policy

Lieutenant Colonel Saeed Al Khajah, Deputy Director of Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department at the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said, “Conducting such studies for the Security Media Department helps plan the best media policies for the MoI. The MoI endeavors to work towards public satisfaction, recognize the public viewpoints, and identify their societal aspirations of the media in order to benefit both the ministry and the interest of the public.”

He also explained that the study fosters the central role and purposeful message of the media. This stems from the commitment of the MoI to foster transparent standards of media discourse, and to embody the principles of scientific openness. Such standards help achieve the desired aspirations via various modern means in order to improve the system of police work  and of its new concepts that are not limited to keeping pace with recent developments- rather, they are involved with such developments.

Lieutenant Colonel Al Khajah also highlighted the Security Media Department’s commitment to enhancing the efficiency of MoI media campaigns in order to ensure access to police news, information, and messages in order to reach the widest, targeted segments of the public. The department relies on the most convenient means and locations to target its audience, and works to improve the MoI services and communication channels with the public.

For their part, the ECSSR noted that the response to the request of the Security Media Department at the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior falls in line with the center’s objectives to serve society, and to provide accurate and reliable information to the decision-makers in the UAE.

A source at the ECSSR explained that the MoI’s reliance on the ECSSR to conduct the survey is due to their approaches to research and to the scientific methods that are adopted at the ECSSR. The ECSSR features a distinguished team of field researchers who are scientifically and professionally qualified, and who have proven to be efficient administrators who are competent in their fields, and who have continuously collaborated with the MoI.

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The Study Sample

The study sample involved 4,250 participants representing five segments of the UAE society. The sample was selected based on a multi-stage sampling method. The elements of the sample were determined by nationality, gender, age group, and emirate.

Regarding the study tools, the survey was developed to cover the key topics to serve the main objectives of the study. Regarding the approach of the study, data was assembled through personal interviews. The targeted audience covered: schools (government and private), universities (government and private), work locations (government and private), houses (non-workers), and employees (low-income).

The study sample covered students at governmental and private institutions: 750 school students and 750 university students. The first category’s response percentage was 99.2 percent while the second category recorded 97.6 percent. The study sample also covered 1,600 employees (workers in governmental and private sectors), with a response rate of 96.3 percent. Additionally, 550 individuals (of non-workers and non-students) participated in the study with a response rate of 98.4 percent. Six hundred workers (with limited income) participated, with a 99 percent response rate.

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Public Suggestion

The public suggested several points to develop media campaigns organized by the MoI, including: focusing on visual media, utilizing televised advertisements, sending text messages to mobile phones, targeting schools and universities with campaigns, producing short awareness films targeting youth and teenagers, and advertising through official channels such as ministries and local and federal departments.  

For more information about:

The Ministry of Interior, please click HERE

Abu Dhabi Police, please click HERE

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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com

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