The Legislation and Opinion Bureau published a draft regulation for media spokespersons in ministries, institutions, and government departments for the year 2025, which stipulates that media spokespersons are subject to periodic and annual technical assessments, and their continued nomination or appointment depends on the results of this evaluation. The Ministry of Government Communication is granted the authority to recommend their transfer or dismissal if weaknesses in evaluation and performance are proven.
According to the draft seen by "Al-Mamlaka," each department is required to name or appoint a media spokesperson who possesses the necessary qualifications and experiences mentioned in the job description card, after passing the requirements set by the Public Service and Administration Agency and the Ministry of Government Communication. The media spokesperson is responsible for media and communication in the department and must report the appointment or nomination decision to the Ministry of Government Communication within seven days of its issuance.
The draft clarified that the media spokesperson is administratively connected to the minister or his delegate, and directly technically connected to both the minister and the Ministry of Government Communication. They are part of the network of media spokespersons affiliated to the ministry, and they must implement media policies, plans, and directives issued by it, and undergo periodic technical evaluations in cooperation with the relevant authorities for decision-making purposes regarding the continuation of their naming or appointment.
The draft also mandated the department and the Ministry of Government Communication to prepare detailed semi-annual reports on the media spokesperson's performance for technical evaluation and monitoring purposes, in addition to an annual evaluation conducted by both the department and the Competency Evaluation Center at the Public Service and Management Agency in cooperation with the Ministry of Government Communication, taking into consideration performance indicators, professionalism, commitment, discipline, and media interaction.
The draft explicitly stipulates that in case of proven weakness in evaluation and performance, the Ministry of Government Communication has the right to recommend the transfer or dismissal of the media spokesperson in cooperation with the Public Service and Management Agency, or to subject them to specialized training programs aimed at enhancing their efficiency and improving their job performance.
Regarding regulatory tools, the draft considered the use of the "Naatiq" electronic platform as part of the duties of the media spokesperson, requiring responses to all media issues within the department's jurisdiction, continuous updating of data and reports, considering neglect in this regard as job negligence, and requiring that a report be submitted about it to the relevant minister and the Ministry of Government Communication for necessary action.
The draft clarified that the "Naatiq" platform is an electronic system endorsed by the Ministry of Government Communication, used for coordinating governmental media messages and facilitating communication and monitoring between the media spokespersons and the ministry, within a regulatory framework binding their work, confirming that any non-compliance with the system's provisions is considered a legal and administrative violation subjecting the offender to accountability.
Consequently; spokespersons' system in ministries, institutions, and government departments for the year 2025
Article 1- This system is named (Media Spokespersons System in Ministries, Institutions, and Government Departments for the year 2025) and is effective from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
Article 2- The following words and phrases shall have the meanings assigned to them below unless the context otherwise requires:-
Department: any ministry, department, organization, council, public official institution, or public institution subject to the provisions of the Public Sector Human Resource Management System, and any entity approved by the Minister of Government Communication and the Minister of State for Public Sector Development to be subject to the provisions of this system.
Minister: the minister responsible for his ministry and related departments, and for the purposes of this system the term (minister) includes the head of any department exercising ministerial powers in accordance with special legislation for department employees.
Media Spokesperson: the person officially named/appointed as a media spokesperson to speak on behalf of the department and handle its media communication, in accordance with the provisions of this system.
Assistant to the Media Spokesperson: the person named/appointed to support the media spokesperson and temporarily handle his duties in his absence or if the position is vacant.
Ministry of Government Communication: the technical reference authority responsible for the overall technical supervision of the work of media spokespersons in the government apparatus.
Official Naatiq Platform: an electronic system approved by the Ministry of Government Communication, used to coordinate governmental media messages and to facilitate communication and monitoring between the media spokespersons and the ministry.
Article 3- In accordance with the provisions of this system, a network of media spokespersons in ministries, institutions, and government departments is established, and the Ministry of Government Communication is the authority responsible for overseeing their technical performance and directing their efforts.
b- Each department is required to name/appoint a media spokesperson who possesses the necessary qualifications and experiences as certified in the job description card, and after passing the essential requirements determined by the Public Service and Management Agency and the Ministry of Government Communication. The media spokesperson is responsible for media and communication in the department.
c- The appointed minister or his equivalent names/appoints an assistant to the media spokesperson to support the media spokesperson's work and to ensure the continuity of media performance in case of vacancy.
d- The Ministry of Government Communication must be notified about the decision to name/appoint the media spokesperson and the assistant within (7) days from the date of the decision.
Article 4- The media spokesperson is administratively connected to the minister or his delegate and directly technically connected to both the minister and the Ministry of Government Communication. They are a part of the network of media spokespersons affiliated with [-]
