Dubai: The Dubai Press Club has concluded the first week of the third edition of its Arab Podcast Programme, which began on July 13 and aims to help participants transform creative ideas into professional and impactful podcast projects.Held at the club's headquarters, the programme combines theoretical learning with practical training, equipping participants with the skills needed to develop, produce and promote successful podcasts.The opening week featured a series of specialised workshops led by experts and industry practitioners. Charbel Issa, Customer Success Manager and certified trainer at Podeo, delivered three sessions covering podcast fundamentals, content planning and professional standards.The workshops explored podcast concept development, audience identification, project branding, research techniques, scriptwriting, episode structure and long-term sustainability in the podcast industry.Participants also attended a workshop titled "Building a Vocal Footprint: Tools and Strategies," presented by certified vocal performance and elocution specialist Rahaf Khaled Al-Halabi. The session focused on voice development, pronunciation techniques and the role of vocal performance in shaping a podcast's identity and strengthening audience engagement.A separate workshop led by visual artist and branding expert Mohammed Abdulaziz examined the creation of a strong visual identity for podcasts. Participants learned about logo design, colour selection, typography, episode cover design and maintaining a consistent visual presence across digital platforms.The first week concluded with workshops on media presence and storytelling, including "The Charisma of Appearance: Performance Arts and Managing Media Dialogue" and "The Art of Storytelling: From Abstract Idea to Inspiring Content."Mariam Al Mulla, Director of the Dubai Press ClubMariam Al Mulla, Director of the Dubai Press Club, said the programme places particular emphasis on building strong foundations before moving into production and publishing stages."The speakers in the Arab Podcast Programme focused on the key pillars of podcast success, particularly the development of the idea, identity and voice of the project, which are essential elements in creating a podcast capable of competing and making a positive impact on audiences," she said.Al Mulla added that strengthening storytelling and media performance skills remains one of the programme's primary objectives."We are keen through this edition to enable participants to understand podcasting tools in a comprehensive way," she said.Wadad Kahour, Head of Media Talent Development at the Dubai Press Club, said the first week was designed to provide participants with a practical environment to test and refine their ideas."We ensured that the first week served as a practical space for participants to develop their concepts through hands-on exercises and direct interaction with trainers, enabling them to gain a broader understanding of the podcast industry and its requirements," she said.The programme will continue over the next two weeks with specialised workshops focused on production, technical implementation, publishing and promotion, before participants present their completed podcast projects to a panel of experts for evaluation.
