RIYADH: The second Saudi Media Forum kicks off on Feb. 20 in Riyadh with an expected 1,500 industry leaders, experts, analysts and specialists from Arab and other countries.

The two-day forum will include discussions on the development and future of the sector in its various forms, including visual, audio, print and digital. It will also review the media’s social, political and economic role globally.

Mohammed Al-Harthi, CEO of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority, told Arab News: “The world’s media is confronting many challenging difficulties, and our media is part of this world.”

Al-Harthi said the forum provides media practitioners and intellectuals the space for meetings and discussions on various pressing issues. He said journalists have had to adapt to rapid and challenging technological developments.

The forum’s participants would address new developments in immersive technologies such as the metaverse and artificial intelligence in media, including ChatGPT, he said.

There will be honors awarded to those who contributed to the media in categories including print and electronic journalism, visual and audio production, and research.

Al-Harthi said the award categories were developed after analyzing the media industry locally and internationally. The diverse range of categories now include the arts and all types of media, aimed at encouraging competition and highlighting creativity and innovation.

According to Al-Harthi, the forum is being held at a time when the Kingdom is witnessing “an unprecedented boom,” which has contributed to the dissemination of Saudi content globally.

Participants at the forum would also discuss the importance of digital media, content marketing, mobile journalism, and emerging platforms.

The first forum was held in Riyadh in 2019 under the umbrella of the Saudi Journalists Association, with about 1,000 local, Arab and international participants from 32 countries. The second forum was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.