LOC14:45
11:45 GMT
RIYADH, Feb 20 (KUNA) -- The Third Saudi Media Forum kick-started Tuesday, with the participation of Kuwaiti Information Minister's Representative and Undersecretary Dr. Nasser Mhaisen, 2,000 local and international prominent media professionals, and 80 media entities.
In his opening speech, Saudi Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari, said the year 2024 will be dubbed as the "year of shaping media," which will encompass all the energies that are worthy of the Saudi leadership and people, indicating that media has contributed, in local production, more than 14 billion Saudi Riyals (SAR) (USD 3.37 billion).
Al-Dosari added that they aim to reach SAR 16 billion (USD 4.27 billion), this year with a 10 percent increase, emphasizing the media sector providing 56,000 jobs with a goal of reaching 67,000 jobs in 2024.
He continued that Saudi Arabia is working with strategies with the aim to grow and develop the media system and its integration into the Saudi General Authority for Media Regulation, as well as develop and enrich Radio and Television Authority and Saudi Press Agency (SPA) to encourage a friendly competitive environment.
Al-Dosari clarified that Saudi Media Academy has launched with the aim to empower, develop, and train specializations in regards to future media needs, in cooperation with global media platforms such as Google, Huawei, Ali Baba, and others, driven by data and passion for the field.
According to SPA, the launch of the Forum came with the launch of the Future of Media Exhibition (FOMEX), the largest specialized media exhibition in the Middle East, featuring the participation of over 200 local and international companies, to present the latest technologies and innovations across various media fields throughout the Forum's duration. (end)
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