Saudi Media Forum 2025 Launched By Minister Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dossary In Riyadh

The fourth Saudi Media Forum 2025 commenced in Riyadh, inaugurated by Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossary. The event, themed "Media in a Shaping World," took place from February 19-21. Notable attendees included Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy, and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In his opening remarks, Al-Dossary described the forum as defining the "Year of Influence," a vision extending beyond the present to shape future media landscapes.

Al-Dossary highlighted Saudi Arabia's significant progress in media, reflecting the Kingdom's ambitious vision. He noted that Saudi Arabia is considered the greatest success story of the 21st century. In 2024 alone, the country hosted 24 world leaders and over 15,625 events, attracting more than 42 million visitors. This equates to two events per hour throughout the year.

Saudi Arabia is emerging as a global hub for major events like Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. These events will leverage cutting-edge augmented reality and smart broadcasting technologies to enhance experiences. The Minister of Media announced that by 2030, nearly 150,000 jobs are expected to be created in the media sector, fostering talent and accelerating innovation.

The "Year of Influence 2025" aims to advance non-profit media and social responsibility while hosting an international conference on news' future to boost the Saudi Press Agency's (SPA) global influence. Key initiatives include digitizing SPA's archives, launching journalism fellowships, and implementing governance policies for digital advertising to ensure regulation and transparency.

Minister Al-Dossary emphasized that today's world experiences an interactive dynamic between humans and machines. He stated that true creativity lies in human potential to innovate and lead future developments. Discussing media equates to discussing a future driven by predictive algorithms, AI-powered journalism, and robotic reporting.

Saudi Arabia is transforming into an open global laboratory for innovative ideas where smart media integrates with AI, big data, mixed reality, and virtual reality. Predictive journalism shaped by data analytics is paving the way for interactive and immersive media experiences.

Future Media Exhibition (FOMEX)

This transformation is showcased at the Future Media Exhibition (FOMEX), where over 250 leading media and technology companies worldwide gather to redefine global media landscapes. The exhibition highlights how smart media integrates with advanced technologies like AI and virtual reality.

The Saudi Media Forum offers a platform to explore local and global experiences in media industries. It assesses new media's vast potential while understanding soft power's role in modern times. The three-day forum covers various aspects of media including visual, audio, print, digital formats.

The forum presents a valuable opportunity to delve into different facets of the media industry. It provides insights into visual, audio, print, digital formats among others while exploring new trends shaping today's communication landscape.

With inputs from SPA