Visual Storytelling in Arab Virtual Public Spheres

Abstract

Across the Arab world, increasing digitization, spiking young demographics, expanding media education programs and rising cultural liberalism seem to be inducing greater visualization in the virtual sphere. This perception of the image as a key facet of online communications has been especially noted in the Arabian Gulf, where grand cultural and media projects embracing media cities, virtual museums, knowledge parks, online video platforms and film festivals are seen as critically supporting the region by telling its story to the world. But in order for the Arab world to sustain this visual momentum in the virtual public sphere, it must address certain challenges arising from its postcolonial visual media policies, historically-entrenched oral communication legacies, state authoritarianism and narrow Islamic views of the image as taboo. In a global communications environment, Arabs have much to gain by harnessing the power of the image in virtual space to enhance their international engagement. The Gulf region has already made some breakthroughs in this regard by fostering more open cultural policies, supporting online visual content creation, embracing creative young talent, maintaining world-class telecommunications infrastructures and solidifying visual media education programs. But more has yet to be done to realize the full visual potential of the virtual sphere.