Abduljalil Al-Saeid told Arab News: “This forum is in line with Vision 2030 because the media plays a great role in the fulfillment of the vision itself RIYADH: Media specialists from around the world traveled to Riyadh to attend the Saudi Media Forum on Monday. The two-day event was organized by the Saudi Journalists Association in partnership with the Saudi Broadcasting Authority. About 1,500 people attended the forum on the first day. Authority president and forum chairman Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi stressed in his opening remarks that development is the way forward and Saudi Arabia is working hard to create and shape its own bright future. David Reaboi speaks to Arab News. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah) The forum’s theme, “Media in a world that is taking shape,” aims to highlight the importance of the new era of media and how it impacts communication within cultures. David Reaboi, president of Strategic Improvisation, a communication company based in Miami, US, visited the Kingdom for the first time to attend the forum. HIGHLIGHT The forum’s theme, ‘Media in a world that is taking shape,’ aims to highlight the importance of the new era of media and how it impacts communication within cultures. As a guest speaker in the session “The New Media Generation: Variables and Opportunities,” he discussed the rapid changes and challenges facing new media. Attendees at Saudi Media Forum 2023 in Hilton Hotel, Riyadh. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah) “The trend is going more towards democratization, less centralization and more personality driven material. Media is going to consist of more short, digestible content,” Reaboi said. Journalist and director of the Scandinavian Gulf Center for Studies, Abduljalil Al-Saeid, came all the way from Sweden for the event. He told Arab News: “This forum is in line with Vision 2030 because the media plays a great role in the fulfillment of the vision itself. “Media shows and highlights the different stages of the vision’s success to the world. I believe the future of media is always fraught with success rather than failure because media is a social situation more often than a political one.” Coworkers Lubna Abdulrahman and Reem Quqandi visited the forum from the Emirates to look for new ideas and perspectives to bring back to Matrix, a PR agency based in Dubai. “Media is the voice and picture of this world and it is the future of today … we want to learn more about the recent media trends and to get a look at where the future of media is going,” Abdulrahman said. Whether connecting with different media outlets, discovering new businesses or chatting with media specialists, the media forum has a place and benefit for everyone who attends.