The Saudi Media Forum kicks off its sixth edition in the Saudi capital Riyadh from February 1 to 3 under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

This edition is expected to see wide participation from media leaders, decision-makers, experts, and media and technology institutions from around the world.

Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari affirmed that the forum has established itself as one of the most prominent specialized media platforms in the region.

During the fifth edition of the forum, held last February, the Saudi Minister of Media launched 12 qualitative initiatives, most notably the Media Innovation Camp 'Saudi MEB,' in the fields of augmented journalism, smart content creation, and the virtual broadcaster, in partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority 'SDAIA'.

The Saudi Media Forum, established from Riyadh as a launchpad for new visions reshaping the future of media in the region under Saudi leadership and high-level international participation, has become an influential platform that showcases Saudi Arabia's stories and values to the world with professionalism and competence, enhancing its presence in the regional and international media landscape.

Read also: 'Al-Eqtisadiah' wins the Saudi Media Forum award in the journalistic report category

The forum works to adopt modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and extended reality, and to support the establishment of regulatory and operational environments that enable a more influential and innovative media sector, with wide attendance from media decision-makers and technology and innovation companies.

In that edition, 'Al-Eqtisadiah' won the forum's award in the journalism category, specifically in the journalistic report track, for the entry submitted by colleague Khaled Al-Bader.

The report, published by the newspaper last November, discussed the idea of 'sports sukuk,' which, despite being an emerging concept in the global sports sector, markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Qatar have paved the way through experiences in financing sectors related to sports, opening the door to adopting similar formulas at the level of Saudi clubs heading toward privatization.

Read also: 'Al-Eqtisadiah' celebrates colleague Khaled Al-Bader winning the Saudi Media Forum award for journalistic report