Hamed Alshehri was elected to the board of directors of the Saudi Journalists Association on Jan. 28. He has extensive experience in various publications in the Saudi media industry, including three major newspapers, and is a member of the Eastern Region Media Association. As a seasoned journalist he established Saudipedia, a Vision 2030 initiative, and has served as the editor-in-chief since January 2021. Saudipedia operates in six languages and aims to document the Kingdom’s history, while also becoming its main source and reference. Alshehri’s responsibilities include approving the publication’s layout, design, style and tone; fact-checking; writing editorial pieces and contributions; developing strategic partnerships with governmental and private entities; and acting as an ambassador for the publication. He began his career as a journalist at Al-Watan newspaper, where he wrote features, covered daily local news and conferences, and conducted interviews with government officials and businesspeople from May 2004 until March 2012. He also worked as a public relations specialist at Makamin Oil and Gas Services from June 2008 to September 2011, gaining extensive knowledge and practical experience at a major energy company. After his work with Al-Watan, he became an economic affairs editor at Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper from April 2012 to December 2013. During that time, he developed nationwide stories on economic and business activities, including high-level governmental events and international conferences. He was a founding member of Makkah Newspaper in 2014, and became managing director and head of the Eastern Province office, where he led the team’s content. In 2015, he joined MBC TV as the editor, scriptwriter and producer of “Min Alsifr,” the most-watched Arabic program in the Middle East and North Africa. The show hosted high-profile guests from business, politics and academia across the Arab world. That year, he returned to Al-Watan as managing director and head of the Eastern Province office until 2019, and was acting editor-in-chief of the newspaper for a period in 2017. He led transformational efforts in establishing the newspaper’s online platform, and adopting new media content approaches. He then joined Saudi Aramco in 2019 as a corporate communication and media relations specialist until his assignment as editor-in-chief of Saudipedia. At Saudi Aramco, he was involved in media relations for many critical projects including the company’s landmark IPO, bonds issuances, and its Sabic acquisition. Alshehri received his bachelor’s degree in education and a graduate diploma in counseling from the University of Dammam in 2008 and 2013, respectively. He has completed various courses, including investigative reporting and data analysis in media.