Saudi Arabia to host world’s media leaders for major industry forum

Saudi Arabia is set to host a major two-day industry conference next month, which will bring together around 1,500 media sector leaders from around the world, reported Arab News.

The forum, being organised under the title ‘Media in a World Being Formed’, will cover the important role played by the industry in relation to social, political, and economic issues.

“The second Saudi Media Forum will take place in Riyadh on Feb. 20 and 21 and will focus on the latest and future developments in audiovisual, print, and digital media,” the report said.

Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, chief executive officer of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority, said the meeting sought to create “a competitive environment in media work, to be a motivation for specialised institutions and professionals in delivering distinctive works worthy of celebration and honor.”

An awards ceremony is also part of the conference that will include categories such as best of print and electronic journalism, audiovisual production, Twitter content, media entrepreneurship, and personality of the year.

The first edition of the forum was held in Riyadh in 2019 under the umbrella of the Saudi Journalists Authority.

More than 1,000 regional and international delegates attended from 32 countries.

Al-Harthi, who also chairs the forum, noted that the event coincided with a boom time in the Saudi media sector.

Saudi journalist Turki Al-Sahli said the Kingdom’s media organisations needed “talented, qualified, and passionate” journalists to ensure levels of quality and ethical journalism were maintained, adding that a key challenge for the sector was meeting the demands of the digital age.

Mohammed Amer, deputy editor-in-chief of Al-Mowaten newspaper, pointed out that Saudi Arabia was under the global spotlight due to the transformations taking place in the country as part of Vision 2030, and said its media was well placed to influence changes taking place around the world, the report added.

Ahmed Al-Muyidi, assistant professor of media and communication at King Saud University, said the forum provided an important platform for media experts to brainstorm, share experiences, and discuss the latest technological developments in the industry.

He noted that the Saudi labour market would benefit from the implementation of media training programmes and professional qualifications.