Hajjar: Media industry has the potential for further growth

The fourth annual Saudi Media Forum that was inaugurated under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Information and organized by the General Commission for Audiovisual Media discussed the development in the media industry across the Kingdom and wider Middle East and Asia regions.
Minister of Haj and Acting Minister of Culture and Information Bandar Hajjar addressed the gathering and expressed his pride in the religious foundation, cultural diversity and national unity of the Kingdom. He expressed thanks to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his support to the Kingdom’s media and culture.
Hajjar explained that the media industry needs to have regulations and be monitored, just like any other industry. He went on to mention how people tend to misuse social media to spread hatred on personal, sectarian or religious and humanitarian grounds.
Delivering the opening speech, Riyadh Najm, president of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media, mentioned that the forum was aimed at creating a platform for decision-makers in the Kingdom’s media sector and to exchange ideas and strategies that help to meet future challenges.
The forum hosted several panel discussions among delegates from the media industry. Topics ranged from future challenges and opportunities in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region media industry to examining the value of public service broadcasting in the digital media age.
“We are living in an age where there are no restrictions or boundaries, especially when we have the Internet which is open to all,” said Salah EddinMaaoui, Director of Arab State Broadcasting Union (ASBU) while participating in a panel discussion. “There is a huge gap in the Arab media, which explains the several flaws we see today. We have an urgent need to regulate the Arabic standards and the media messages we put across to the public,” he said.
While discussions revolved around developing Arabic content for new media platforms and strategies to maximize returns on investment, Mukund Cairae, CEO of MENA/Turkey/Pawkistan at Zee Entertainment Enterprise, mentioned that 74 percent of the entire MENA and regional budget is what the television industry spends in the Kingdom. “The time spent on consuming media by each individual is going up.”
The education and training panel argued about the role of universities and technical colleges in developing the Saudi production industry and reducing reliance on foreign production houses.
“As a moderator of this panel discussion, I was quite interested to learn about how Effat University, represented by Mohammad Ghazala on the panel, had the courage to be the first university in the Kingdom to open the major of visual and digital production, and that too in a ladies college,” said Manal Assad, Social Media Consultant and Lecturer at DM3 Institute and moderator of the education and training panel.
“It is a daring and a futuristic move that is proven to be in the right direction as Saudi Arabia seems to be heading for the first time toward introducing cinema production institutes and other related media professions.”
Commenting on the Saudi capabilities in media production and how Saudi media graduates are often unqualified when they seek employment, Ghazala explained that Effat University is preparing its students for this industry, using the latest technology, equipment, and standards in partnership with International universities and institutes, as opposed to the more traditional static and outdated curriculum and methodology used in other media faculties in Saudi universities.