Saudi Media Forum 2026 Launches Second Daw Initiative Session In Qassim

The Saudi Media Forum 2026 expanded its "Daw of the Saudi Media Forum" initiative with a new session in Buraidah, focusing on how media can rethink rural areas and local economies. The event targeted Qassim Region, highlighting how regional stories can be told in a way that links daily life, production, and identity.

The session, held under the title "Qassim Speaks: How Media Is Rediscovering Rural Areas and the Local Economy," took place in partnership with Qassim University. The Department of Media and Communication represented the university, ensuring academic participation in discussions on the media’s changing role and its impact on communities outside major cities.

President of the Saudi Media Forum Mohammed Al-Harthi explained that choosing Qassim as a host city reflects its special character, shaped by a close link between people, place, and economic activity. Al-Harthi noted that rural life in Qassim shows how production is part of everyday routines and expresses a strong sense of belonging.

Al-Harthi stressed that this connection between lived experience and production helped shape the session’s concept, which aimed to move away from simple description. The goal was deeper analysis of how rural communities are seen, including a review of common stereotypes about rural areas and local economies, and how media coverage can reshape those views.

Al-Harthi added that media is no longer a neutral channel that only reports events. Media now works as an active actor in building awareness and meaning. From this perspective, media becomes a partner in identifying regional comparative advantages and in re-presenting rural areas as spaces of opportunity, not only places where goods are produced.

Participants reviewed how media can highlight the strengths of the Qassim Region and help shift perceptions of rural areas from simple production sites into opportunity-led environments. They discussed cooperation between media professionals, entrepreneurs, and economic bodies to create sustainable narratives, support community-based economies, and strengthen local attachment through stories deeply rooted in regional identity.

Key details of the Buraidah session within the "Daw of the Saudi Media Forum" initiative are summarised below.

The "Daw of the Saudi Media Forum" initiative seeks to introduce the Saudi Media Forum 2026 more widely across the Kingdom by organising specialised media sessions with local partners. Each session addresses topics that match regional interests, which helps increase community engagement with the forum and supports its visibility in the domestic media scene.

The Saudi Media Forum 2026 functions as a platform that gathers media professionals and decision-makers each year to examine sector challenges and opportunities at local and regional levels. The forum hosts leading figures in media to address major industry issues and discuss how media can keep pace with fast global developments under the theme "Media in a Shaping World."

With inputs from SPA