Presided over by Abdullah Hassan, Director General of the Middle East News Agency (MENA), the General Secretariat of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) held here today its first meeting in the presence of members of the Federation. Saudi Press Agency (SPA) was represented at the meeting by the Acting Director General Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al-Awad of the Department of News. MENA Director General and the President of FANA delivered a speech in which he welcomed the audience, stressing the importance of the topics on the agenda of FANA meeting. Speaking also on the occasion, FANA Secretary General Dr. Farid Aiyar reviewed the issues raised in the meeting, stressing the importance of participating in the Fourth International Conference of News Agencies which will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2013, organized by SPA as the first Arab news agency organizing an international conference of news agencies in the world in addition to the 41st Congress of FANA General Assembly which will be held in the Kingdom as well. The attendees stressed their cooperation and keenness on harnessing their potential when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosts the Fourth International Conference of News Agencies in the world in 2013, confirming the importance of the conference not only for SPA but also to all Arab news agencies in general.