RIYADH: The Saudi Journalists Association and Dar Al-Yaum for Media, supported by the Al-Waleed Al-Mubarak Charitable Foundation, have signed an agreement with the University of Missouri to nurture talent in the field of digital media.

The project — titled the Journalists and Media Professionals Skills and Competencies Development Program — will provide 70 seats for recent journalism graduates and 30 for employees of media institutions.

Dar Al-Yaum for Media Chairman Al-Waleed Al-Mubarak said the program was the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia and would cover new digital media formats like metaverse journalism, augmented and virtual reality technology and artificial intelligence.

“We believe it is our duty to support aspiring Saudi journalists and media professionals and help them open broader horizons in their careers,” Al-Mubarak said.

The initiative would contribute to achieving the goals of Vision 2030, he said.

SJA Chairman Adhwan Al-Ahmari thanked Dar Al-Yaum for hosting the initiative and said that while Saudi journalism was capable of keeping up with global developments, there was a need to educate its workforce by applying new technologies ethically and professionally.

He said the initiative aligned with Vision 2030, which aims to enhance the digital economy and build a knowledge-based society founded on innovation, and would aid the development of the media in the Eastern region and solidify the Kingdom’s position as a global center for digital media.