Media Scholarship Program Expands In Saudi Arabia As Nine Agreements Forge Public-Private Talent Partnerships

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary has supervised the signing of cooperation agreements between the Ministry of Media and nine private media companies under the "Media Scholarship Program" within the "Wa’ed" pathway of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, aiming to support national media talent and sector growth.

The agreements mark a shift in the Ministry of Media’s role, moving from mainly drafting regulations to enabling development. Academic study, practical training, and direct employment are linked in one track, so scholarship students move from education into defined jobs within participating companies’ operations and projects.

The Media Scholarship Program was launched at the end of the third quarter of 2025 to back Saudi Vision 2030 goals. It supports economic diversification by boosting non-oil activities, and aims to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s standing as a regional centre for media, content production, and creative industries.

Under this Media Scholarship Program, 94 funded opportunities are offered across academic and training paths, serving as an economic empowerment tool for the media sector. The step is expected to raise productivity in partner companies and build specialised national professionals able to lead change across media and wider creative fields.

Nine private media entities signed the cooperation agreements with the Ministry of Media. The list includes MBC Group, OneGroup, Thohoor Media Company, Hwadi Company, Peninsula Pictures Company, Salhm Company, Loba Company, Jether Production Company, and Waves Company, covering production, content creation, and related media services across different platforms.

The scholarship package under the Media Scholarship Program spans several countries and education levels. It includes master’s, bachelor’s, diploma, and short training options in the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, and Canada, reflecting demand for international standards in media education and technical training.

The Ministry of Media described the initiative as a national example of partnership between public and private sectors, based on investment in human capital. The program aims to enhance the media sector’s contribution to the Saudi economy by aligning workforce skills with company needs, supporting job creation and sector resilience.

Undersecretary for Media Sector Development at the Ministry of Media Esra Mansour Assery said the media sector is now a key engine of the creative economy, with value chains that stretch from production and distribution to technology, platform building, and marketing, which demands highly skilled Saudi professionals.

Esra Mansour Assery added that the transformation of the sector requires qualified national talent with advanced abilities and specialist knowledge that meet leading global benchmarks. The Media Scholarship Program allows companies to shape scholarship plans that match their real staffing requirements, improving alignment between education outputs and labour market expectations.

According to Esra Mansour Assery, this design strengthens the sustainability and competitiveness of the media sector inside Saudi Arabia and abroad. Programs and available seats will be announced through the social media channels of participating companies, while applications will be received through the Ministry of Education’s "Safeer" platform.

With inputs from SPA