Riyadh: The second edition of the Saudi Media Forum began in the capital Riyadh with over 1,500 media professionals and industry leaders from Arab and foreign countries joining to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the media industry.
The two-day-long event which began on Monday will be graced by Saudi minister of energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi minister of investment Khalid Al-Falih, and Saudi minister of Commerce and Minister of Information in charge, Majid Al-Qasabi.
Leaders from the media industry will hold discussions on “The New Media Generation and the Culture of Rapid Changes”, “Digital Influencers: Media or Advertising” and “Media… and the Ethical and Practical Implications of Using Artificial Intelligence”.
According to the organisers, the event also highlights the topics of contemporary media in light of changes in the world under an increasing role of media. This would help face challenges and provide solutions that affect the media’s future.
“The world is going through a historical phase characterized by an unprecedented movement towards a new establishment with the changes taking place in the media industry and the rapid development in the world at various levels,” read a statement by Saudi Media Forum.
It added, “This is because media and communication in its forms, patterns and means are a link between visions and building concepts and trends. It is important and vital for leaders, experts, practitioners and researchers of media and communication to meet to discuss and analyze issues and topics related to their work”.
As the Arab world is exploring new opportunities in the areas of Information technology and investment in infrastructure, there is rapid changeover in the region’s media industry.
“The importance of media is becoming more important day after day to reach effective power in human societies”, the Forum said.
It added, “Media is one of the means of soft power that creates influence and change at home and abroad. Whenever the media is effective and influential, it gives an indication of the community’s effectiveness and healthy interaction, with the need for a fertile environment for young generations to attend and participate in effective communication media with the boom in social media networks”.
A total of 400 media companies, 25 local television channels, 80 media production houses, as well as 20 specialised local radio stations, consider Riyadh as one of the most important and influential centres in the Middle East and the region’s largest media and advertising market.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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