Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) launched the program schedule for the holy month of Ramadan in the presence of Minister of Media and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SBA Salman Al-Dossary and a number of media professionals and intellectuals, in a ceremony held at the headquarters of SBA in Riyadh on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Al-Harthy, CEO of the authority, congratulated the participants on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, saying that they are partners in the successes scored by the authority in presenting a wide variety of innovative programs that cater to the tastes of the viewers.

Referring to the authority’s Ramadan programs, he said the authority has started its preparations since the end of last Ramadan, through teams working around the clock, with the aim of providing excellent content. He emphasized that SBA focuses on the local content with international standards.

The programs that the authority will air and broadcast through its television and radio stations constitute a quantum leap in the realms of information, entertainment, and drama content, Al-Harthy said while emphasizing that the real challenge in television content lies in innovation and competition, which requires teamwork and distinctive ideas that satisfy the taste of all segments of society.

“The authority works realistically in evaluating its programs, and this is one of the reasons for the success of its previous programs. There are four tracks that we worked on in the program schedule which are spiritual, humanitarian, entertainment, and competitions,” he said, adding that the authority takes pride in the fact that a large number of Saudi stars are appearing on television.

Al-Harthy thanked the SBA staff who are working to make success after success, as well as the production companies and institutions, calling them SBA’s partners.

The SBA chief said the authority was keen on screening an innovative program aimed at promoting humanitarian initiatives. Famous television celebrity Fayez Al-Maliki will come out fulfilling the aspirations of young heroes suffering from health problems through the 'Omniah' program. The program titled ‘Khairuha Binasiha,’ will highlight the humanitarian traits of the most prominent Saudi personalities working in the charity sector.

The television program ‘Marahel’ by renowned artist Ali Al-Olayani will return to the screen for its second season on Saudi television. There was a tremendous response with millions of viewers for the program in its first season. Saudi football legend Sami Al-Jaber is interviewing his guests on the program titled “That” in its second season on Saudi Television after the program was crowned with great success last season.

Among the religious programs, the most important will be Mohammed Bin Salman Project for Developing Historical Mosques, which aims to renovate and restore 130 historical mosques in various regions of the Kingdom.

Sheikh Saad Al-Shathri, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars and advisor at the Royal Court, will present a unique program titled the “Eternal Days” that reviews the stories and the bond between the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and his Companions.

On the community realm, the Nakhwa program will be aired, with a celebrity in each episode disguising himself in a state of injustice or mistreatment in order to test people’s reactions about what he is exposed to. The most humane person gets a surprise from the famous person who celebrates his generosity and reveals his identity during the show. At the same time, the Emaar Al-Ard program is broadcast to highlight the projects sponsored by the Kingdom abroad.

The ‘Science of the Ancients’ program, in its fourth edition, comes to narrate the stories of folklore, proverbs, and the most famous poetic verses. Some of these will be presented into dramatic scenes so as to enable its easier comprehension by the younger generation. The sports programs such as 'SBC Stadium' will be presented to analyze the matches of the Saudi League, apart from 'Sports Scoop' to provide daily news, reports and investigations.

In the documentary realm, the SBA is keen to present several programs with advanced ideas to showcase different societal models. Mai Al-Suqair will present ‘Jusoor’, which tells the stories of Saudis who succeeded in their field of work outside the borders of the country while Muhammad Bin Naheet’s documentary will shed light on the pioneering role of Saudi leadership in several fields through the ‘Tuwaiq program.’

The authority also presents the 'Brave', which highlights the lives of Saudis practicing difficult and dangerous jobs, while the 'Unique Experience' sheds light on expatriates who scripted success stories in their professional life in the Kingdom.

For cooking enthusiasts, there will be the Chef Game, which is based on a challenge between two cooking enthusiasts, where the quality of a dish prepared with better taste and at lower cost is tested.

During Ramadan, the authority will present a variety of serials, foremost of which is the drama “Qurah Ainak”, which brings together the life of Fahd and Reem Abdullah. This serial, which is to air on the Saudi channel, will be catering to the tastes of various segments of Saudi society.

The comedy series from Podcast and Netflix will be aired on the SBC screen, as these works are from celebrity artists within the Kingdom as well as from the Gulf and the Arab world.

The program schedule is an extension of the previous program sessions and the success achieved with a qualitative transformation focusing mainly on local content. The authority took into account, in selecting programs and dramas, the viewers’ evaluation of the most popular content on the basis of studies carried out after each previous program session.