Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Media Minister Salman Al Dosary unveiled three pivotal strategies aimed at revitalizing the Kingdom's media landscape in line with the General Authority for Media Regulation's overarching strategy.

These initiatives are designed to enhance the media sector's efficiency, boost investment appeal, and strengthen national workforce capabilities, charting a course towards the future of media.

Al Dosary detailed the strategies during a statement on Tuesday, which include a broad Media Sector Strategy for setting the media ecosystem's strategic orientation; a Saudi Broadcasting Authority Strategy to foster growth and competitiveness, and develop media talent for producing content that enhances Saudi Arabia's global image; and the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) Strategy to augment its global network's effectiveness and deliver content that resonates with contemporary media trends and audience expectations.

In his opening speech at the third edition of the Saudi Media Forum 2024, Al Dosary highlighted the media sector’s contribution of SR 14.5 billion to the GDP in 2023, with a target of reaching SR16 billion this year. The sector provided 56,000 jobs in 2023, aiming for 67,000 jobs in 2024.

He emphasized Riyadh's role as the future capital of media, passionately advocating for a "warm handshake between Saudi media and the future."

Significantly, he declared 2024 as the "Year of Media Transformation", dedicating efforts towards realizing the leadership's aspirations and the determination of the Saudi people.

Additionally, Al-Dosary announced the launch of the "Hajj MediaHub" initiative, aimed at facilitating media coverage of the Hajj season through a comprehensive media community and an interactive media exhibition, benefiting over 2,000 international media professionals and visitors.

He also noted Saudi Arabia's readiness to embrace the future with advancements in artificial intelligence and technology, spotlighting the Saudi Academy for Media's launch for empowerment and training in future-focused specializations. Early strategic partnerships have been established with global giants like Google, Huawei, Alibaba, among others, promising more collaborations in the pipeline.