His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defense, gave a speech at the opening of Dubai Media City. Here are highlights, courtesy of Digital Studio magazine, March 2001:

We do not know precisely when the first radio arrived in Dubai or the United Arab Emirates. However, we do know that it arrived early in the development of radio, probably some time in the last 20s or 30s of the last century. We also know that its arrival created much interest. The presence of a radio in a cafe guaranteed the success of that business, and converted the cafe into a place of political and cultural importance. People would go to listen to programs discussing religion, news, literature, and music. Within human nature there is the urge to discover, the curiosity to know, and the desire to expand ones circle of communication.

I remember the opening of the Dubai Television Station in black and white, in 1969. It was a momentous event. At that time, the station only covered Dubai and the neighboring areas. There was a similar station in Abu Dhabi that we could only see in Dubai in the summer, as the increased humidity improved the coverage during the warmer months.

After the creation of the Federation of the UAE, multiple relay stations were required to ensure that the transmission of the national TV stations reached all regions. However, television broadcasting was subject to regional and international frequency agreements. Frequencies were not always readily available, there was understandable competition among neighboring countries for these frequencies, and countries would exercise sovereignty over their airspace and airwaves, as with their lands and regional waters. It was out of the question to establish a radio or TV station without obtaining official permission, or arranging complex technical requirements.

All of this has now changed, and become a part of history.

When transmission occurs from an altitude of 20-25 miles, and the Internet covers the entire face of the earth, reference to national airspace becomes irrelevant, and a truly single global dimension is born, providing information, news, culture, and entertainment. Celebrating the opening of Dubai Media City is another step forward on a path we consciously chose, ensuring the welfare and prosperity of our nationa dn people.

Our dear guests, right here in this place we have set the foundation for the launch of this ideal city, which will provide all-encompassing services for the media industry. The business community, the creative talent in this city, together with regional and international corporations, shall find genuine opportunities to establish new projects and develop existing ones. The advanced infrastructure here provides a multitude of opportunities to embrace the new world of electronic media, and therefore facilitates participation in the new digital economy. It is here that the role of media becomes greater, the entertainment industry grows, and business value increases at a rate exceeding other industries.

Dear guests, tonight we are not only celebrating the completion of phase one of Dubai Media City, we are also recognizing our creative and productive talent, corporations, and all of those who have grasped the importance of this project and have therefore become its pioneers. The interest in our city has exceeded our expectations, and our first phase is fully occupied with companies and creative talent that have found the ideal environment that brings together all participants in the media industry in one place, where freedom and the criteria for success and growth are abundant. I have extensively addressed the issue of freedom when I launched the Dubai Media City project last November. I shall readdress this subject briefly, especially as some have voiced their concerns over possible exploitation and abuse of this freedom. I emphasize here what I have previously said, "Freedom is integrity." My expectation is that the people who will work in this city are ready for this challenge.

We want Dubai Media City to be the arena for free-thinking talent. We want the city to contribute to creating a media message that is aware of its reality and is open to the future. We want this city to be a place where the media around the region and the globe will bring their productive and creative talent home. We want this city to help facilitate both the networking among regional Arab talent and the joining and integration of such talent with the rest of the media world. I look forward to media production that is unique, and is based upon cultural vision that is open and confident of its history and heritage, production that will elevate the mind, innovate, rejuvenate, pioneer, and will assist in spreading a culture of information, so that this city can truly be a welcoming window to the future.

Dear guests, this city shall play an integral role in the global digital infrastructure. The city will provide for its community the opportunity to embrace all that is new in the media industry at the right moment in time, and therefore, the pioneers of this city will possess the tools that will allow them to convey their message, and to achieve their tasks to world-class standards. This will allow them to compete in the global field and in sharing the fruits of this new economy. Welcome to Dubai Media City. TBS