Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosary said that the ministry has established three harmonious media academies that are aimed to train more than 4,000 individuals within two years.

“This is through three educational tracks, containing 50 theoretical and practical subjects, and specialized programs, and that is in partnership with major international universities,” he said while addressing the second Media Suhoor (predawn meal) in Riyadh on Monday. Several ministers, officials and media figures attended the event held under the patronage of the minister.

In his address, Al-Dosary said that the ‘Media Suhoor’ has become an annual tradition. “We meet with media partners, leaders of media institutions, and spokespersons of different institutions to exchange ideas and enhance communication between the ministry and interested parties and specialists, in addition to supporting opportunities for cooperation and partnerships in various fields.

Al-Dosary said that the ministry, during the media transformation year of 2024, adopted the title “Strategies and Priorities” to achieve transformation in this sector. He stressed that the ministry strives to take advantage of artificial intelligence, in light of the rapid global growth in this sector. “The Saudi media will be a key player and not a spectator,” the minister said while noting that the Center of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence has been established with the national support, and the Generative Artificial Intelligence Camp in partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

He said that more than 2,000 young men and women have been trained in modern internal and external programs and courses. “The news of the future will be written using inspired algorithms and displayed on a large screen called the Saudi Dream.”

Al-Dosary stated that the ministry is contributing to the development of the media sector by restructuring it and developing its various departments. “The ministry established a special unit for media economics to raise the sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP),” he said while explaining that the opportunities are great and there is no room for inaction.

The minister unveiled several plans of the ministry to boost the media sector, and these include organizing an international forum for young influencers during this year, hold a monthly meeting of ministers with media professionals, work to develop the Saudi Media Forum, and hold a government communication meeting in AlUla in October. He said that the third edition of the Media Suhoor in 2025 will be dedicated to the dialogue about the Saudi media at Expo 2030. This is part of the ministry’s contribution to develop plans and media preparations for the global forum.

The ‘Media Suhoor’ meeting seeks to achieve the desired goals by supporting opportunities for cooperation and partnerships between interested people and specialists, and exchanging experiences and expertise. During the meeting, a friendly dialogue took place aimed at developing various fields of media and communication in the year of media transformation. The dialogue dealt with major issues and diverse topics in the media sector, with the participation of government and media leaders.

On the sidelines of the meet, the Board of Directors of the Saudi Media Academy held its first meeting under the chairmanship of Assistant Minister of Media Dr. Abdullah Al-Maghlouth. The meeting discussed all the topics scheduled on its agenda and took a number of decisions.