Saudi Media Forum embodies ambitious vision for enhancement and development, experts say

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Updated 14 February 2024
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Saudi Media Forum embodies ambitious vision for enhancement and development, experts say

  • The forum embodies an ambitious vision to continue strengthening and developing the media sector in the Kingdom

RIYADH: Media experts have stressed the importance of the third Saudi Media Forum, which will be launched in Riyadh on Feb. 19.

The forum embodies an ambitious vision to continue strengthening and developing the media sector in the Kingdom.

The forum will include a range of topics related to the sector’s growth and future, covering areas such as visual, audio, print and digital mediums. It will also discuss the media’s role in society, politics and the economy on a global scale.

Dedicated to promoting growth in the Saudi media sector, the event explores the industry’s recent advances in a fast-paced global environment.

According to Jamal Al-Kashki, editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram Al-Arabi magazine, “the forum has become a platform that brings together senior media professionals from various countries of the world to discuss pivotal issues related to the media industry, keeping pace with updates and addressing the human impact in the fields of communication revolution, digitization, artificial intelligence and the use of rapid broadcasting via satellites in an era that constantly produces information.”

The former president of the Bahraini Journalists Association, Ahdiya Ahmed, said that the Saudi Media Forum continued to take the lead in discussing media issues.

She praised the significant evolution in Saudi media, competing with global stations and networks by offering distinguished content, and highlighted the efforts of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority and the Saudi Journalists Association in organizing the global event, reflecting an ambitious vision to enhance and develop the media sector in the  Kingdom.

Khaled Al-Adad, a writer for Al-Watan Newspaper, said that the Saudi Media Forum was a great opportunity for dialogue, discussion, expressing opinions and exchanging ideas about the present and future of Saudi media.

He said that this came at a time when Saudi media had taken unprecedented leaps, keeping pace with global media changes, excelling in its tools and mechanisms, and contributing to the widespread dissemination of its high-quality content.

Al-Adad said that the Ministry of Media had succeeded in creating a competitive environment in media work through the forum. This encouraged media institutions and professionals to deliver distinctive and high-quality work aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The Future of Media Exhibition and the Saudi Media Forum Award, which recognizes the valuable contributions of individuals to local and regional media, is running concurrently with the Saudi Media Forum.


Saudi Cabinet condemns ‘blatant’ Iranian aggression; affirms Kingdom’s right to respond to threats

Updated 04 March 2026
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Saudi Cabinet condemns ‘blatant’ Iranian aggression; affirms Kingdom’s right to respond to threats

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has warned it reserves the “full right” to respond to Iranian aggression following a series of “blatant and cowardly” strikes targeting the capital and the Eastern Province.

The warning came during a late-night Cabinet session on Tuesday, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman via videoconference, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

During the session, the Cabinet “reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s full solidarity with the brotherly countries whose territories were subjected to blatant Iranian aggression”, signaling a united front against regional threats.

The session followed a dramatic escalation of hostilities, including a direct drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh. 

Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, confirmed that while air defenses intercepted multiple threats, the embassy compound sustained a “limited fire and minor material damage.”

General Al-Malki further announced that Saudi forces successfully intercepted and destroyed eight additional drones targeting the cities of Riyadh and Al-Kharj early Tuesday morning.

In a sharp rebuke of the embassy strike, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) cited a flagrant violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

“The repetition of this flagrant Iranian behavior... will push the region toward further escalation,” the Ministry stated, underscoring that these provocations occurred despite Riyadh’s explicit policy of not allowing its airspace or territory to be used as a launchpad for strikes against Iran.

Global condemnation and solidarity

The Cabinet expressed deep appreciation for the wave of international support as world leaders condemned Tehran’s “indiscriminate” behavior.

In a joint show of force, the US and GCC member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) along with Jordan stood united, labeling the strikes a “dangerous escalation” and reaffirming a collective right to self-defense.

Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and India. — including Prime Minister Narendra Modi — voiced strong solidarity with the Kingdom. The UK government confirmed its forces are engaged in “defensive actions” to maintain regional stability.

Amid the heightened military tension, the Cabinet reviewed the Kingdom’s hospitality efforts for GCC citizens currently stranded at Saudi airports due to regional airspace closures. The crown prince reaffirmed that the state would mobilize all capabilities to support brotherly nations in any measures they take to restore regional peace and stability.