Media evolution: Saudi Arabia’s ongoing commitment to innovation and progress 
Last week witnessed the largest gathering of media professionals, academics, and enthusiasts in Riyadh for what was fondly tagged “Media in a World Taking Shape.”
As an attendee and a scholar with interests in the 2030-fueled changing media landscape in Saudi Arabia, I believe that there could not have been a better theme than the aforementioned one.
Indeed, in conclusion, the third Saudi Media Forum achieved its mission of creating an environment that stimulated the exchange of ideas about bleeding-edge media trends and innovations in the media space, as well as keeping the 2030 dreams alive.
In light of this, I have highlighted my major takeaway from the event, encompassing workshops, speeches, and panel discussions. Chiefly, I believe that the forum further reaffirms the Kingdom’s unwavering goal of transforming the media sector.
As a result, this event did not only bring together industry leaders and experts to discuss Saudi-based issues — pertinent global discourses such as the impact and future of artificial intelligence in the information environment, the role of the media in reporting crises, the nexus between tourism and the media, and the future of print were also at the core of the forum.
From my vantage point, this further positions the Saudi media sector not only as a local and regional powerhouse but as a global force.
The Saudi media space is one of the most exciting, bankable, and promising forces in the media world today.
The forum further reassures everyone that the industry is indeed on track to be a significant contributor to Saudi Arabia’s transformation from an oil-dependent economy to a knowledge economy. According to Salman Al-Dossary, the Saudi media minister and one of the notable speakers at the event, in 2023, over 56,000 jobs were created, and the industry generated a sum of SR14.5 billion ($3.9 billion) in value added.
Al-Dossary went further to restate the commitment of the Saudi government to investing in the industry and ensuring that it stays ahead of the curve concerning media innovations and trends. By way of that, he announced the theme of the Kingdom’s 2024 media strategy, dubbed the “Year of Media Transformation.”
As an observer, keen listener, and interactor with many attendees at the gathering, another evidence-based, the strong submission of mine is that the dream of yesterday has taken flight in the minds of many people.
Many practitioners, academics, and enthusiasts are keyed into the Saudi media dream like they have never been before. The Saudi media space is one of the most exciting, bankable, and promising forces in the media world today.
• Dr. Musaab bin Faleh Al-Harbi is the media center director at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.
