Riyadh (UNA/SPA) - The Saudi Media Forum concluded the activities of the fourth edition, which was held under the slogan "Media in a Shaping World" and the accompanying Future of Media Exhibition "FOMEX", in the presence of the Minister of Media, Mr. Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari, and a number of Their Excellencies, and media professionals from inside and outside the Kingdom.
During the closing ceremony, the forum announced the winners of its fourth session’s award, with its fourteen diverse tracks in the media and communications sector, which comes as a commitment to the forum’s role in supporting and stimulating media creativity. At the forefront of the awards is the Media Personality of the Year Award, which was won by Dr. Hashem Abdo Hashem, and the Newspaper Column Award, which was won by writer Hazem Saghieh.
In the academic research track, Amal Mohammed Abu Madini, from King Abdulaziz University, won for her research “Data Journalism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2032: A Foresight Study.” In the podcast dialogue programs track, King Abdulaziz Foundation won for “Historical Session Podcast.” In the data journalism track, Okaz newspaper won for its report “328 Saudi women join the labor market daily.” In the individual journalistic report track, Ayman Al-Ghubaiwi from Independent Arabia won the award for his report “Riyadh Metro: A Philosophical Journey That Has Just Begun.”
In the field journalism track for individuals, Al Jazeera correspondent Badr Al-Rubaian won the award for his report “The services provided by the Kingdom to facilitate the performance of the Hajj pilgrimage,” while the award for the sports TV programs track went to the program “In the Goal” from Al Arabiya, and the award for the social talk show track went to the program “In the Picture” from Rotana Khalijiya. In the documentary TV programs track, the award went to the General Authority for Radio and Television for “The Men of King Abdulaziz Program.”
In the media communication activities track, the “No Hajj Without a Permit” campaign from the Ministry of Interior won in the government sector track, while in the private sector track, the award went to the campaign to launch the Saudi anime series “Legends of the Future 2” from Manga Productions. In the audience award track for the best digital content, which is awarded based on audience votes, it was won by Dr. Thawwab Al-Subaie “Sa’ih Tube”.
The forum, which is the largest specialized media gathering in the Middle East, witnessed the attendance of more than 80 local and international visitors, and held more than 80 dialogue sessions and 30 workshops that were characterized by a remarkable attendance and great interaction. The forum also provided strategic opportunities for local companies to communicate with their global counterparts and build partnerships that keep pace with the rapid transformations in the media industry, in addition to 5 initiatives accompanying the forum that focused on developing national cadres in the field of media, and 6 interactive experiences.
The Future of Media Exhibition (FOMEX), held on the sidelines of the forum, was distinguished by its remarkable presence and great interaction from visitors, and the participation of more than 250 local and international companies, who displayed the latest technologies and innovations in the media sector.
The forum also contributed to strengthening partnerships in the media sector through 16 strategic memoranda of understanding and cooperation signed between a number of government agencies and the private sector, in the fields of broadcasting and media training, and qualifying and training national competencies; to develop the skills of media professionals in the field of telling tourism and sports stories, to enhance their role in the national economy in accordance with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Over the course of three days, the fourth edition of the Saudi Media Forum provided an opportunity to learn about local and international expertise and experiences in the media industry, monitor the unlimited potential opportunities created by the new media, and learn about soft power methods and how to invest in them in the modern era.
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