King Salman to Sponsor Launch of Saudi Media Forum in February 2026 

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
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King Salman to Sponsor Launch of Saudi Media Forum in February 2026 

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will sponsor the launch of the Saudi Media Forum that will be held in Riyadh from February 2 to 4, 2026.

The event will feature the participation of more than 250 local, regional, and international companies, as well as broad attendance from media decision-makers and technology and innovation firms.

The forum underscores the Kingdom’s leading position as a global platform for shaping the future of media and digital transformation, building on the success of previous editions. It aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to strengthen the knowledge economy, support content creation, and foster a competitive and innovative media sector.

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary expressed gratitude to King Salman and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their ongoing and generous support of the national media sector. He described the Royal patronage as a key incentive to boost the sector’s performance and expand its impact in line with the goals of Vision 2030.

The minister emphasized that the Saudi Media Forum, which was launched in Riyadh, has become a springboard for new visions reshaping the future of media in the region under Saudi leadership and with high-level international participation.

It now stands as an influential platform that reflects the Kingdom’s stories and values to the world with professionalism and competence, he added.

The forum also strengthens Saudi Arabia’s presence in the regional and global media landscape, embraces modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and extended reality, and supports the development of enabling regulatory and operational environments for a more innovative and impactful media sector, he remarked.

Al-Dossary noted that the upcoming edition will provide a global platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange among media professionals from around the world to discuss the major transformations reshaping modern media.

The forum’s theme, “Media in an Evolving World,” reflects the profound changes in the field, where emerging technologies intersect with content creation, he noted. These changes present both new challenges and opportunities, requiring the development of innovative strategies to boost media’s influence and ensure its long-term sustainability.

The Saudi Media Forum continues to serve as a global annual platform for knowledge exchange and national capacity building, contributing to the development of a pioneering media industry that embodies the Kingdom’s ambitions for a more impactful and sustainable media future.



Kuwait Ports Authority Says Drones Struck Shuwaikh Port

Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City on March 8, 2026. (AFP/file photo)
Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City on March 8, 2026. (AFP/file photo)
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Kuwait Ports Authority Says Drones Struck Shuwaikh Port

Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City on March 8, 2026. (AFP/file photo)
Smoke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City on March 8, 2026. (AFP/file photo)

The Kuwait Ports Authority said on Friday that its main commercial Shuwaikh Port was targeted in a drone attack, resulting in material damage but no human casualties.

The authority added in a statement that it had activated the emergency procedures in place for such situations, in coordination with the relevant authorities.

Iran pressed on with its assaults in the Gulf in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes.


Saudi Arabia Urges Its Nationals in Lebanon to Leave Immediately

Saudi Embassy in Beirut (Reuters)
Saudi Embassy in Beirut (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Urges Its Nationals in Lebanon to Leave Immediately

Saudi Embassy in Beirut (Reuters)
Saudi Embassy in Beirut (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia on Friday renewed calls on Saudi nationals currently present in Lebanon to leave the country immediately because of the security situation there.

In a statement on its social media platform X, the Saudi Embassy in Beirut urged its citizens to comply with the travel ban to Lebanon and called on all nationals currently present in the country to leave immediately citing the security developments.

The embassy emphasized the need to contact it in case of any emergency, wishing safety and security for all.


Kuwait Dismantles Iranian Cell, Bahrain Refers Collaborators to Judiciary

An Iranian rocket is intercepted over Abu Dhabi. (AFP)
An Iranian rocket is intercepted over Abu Dhabi. (AFP)
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Kuwait Dismantles Iranian Cell, Bahrain Refers Collaborators to Judiciary

An Iranian rocket is intercepted over Abu Dhabi. (AFP)
An Iranian rocket is intercepted over Abu Dhabi. (AFP)

Kuwait announced on Thursday that it busted a cell associated with Iran, while Bahrain referred collaborators with Tehran to the judiciary, reflecting the readiness of Gulf countries to deal with threats to their stability and security and to protect their higher interests.

Kuwaiti authorities said they thwarted a terrorist plot to carry out assassinations of state figures and leaders.

They detained a cell that includes a number of Kuwaitis working for Hezbollah, they added.

The cell was also tasked with recruiting people to carry out their attacks with the aim of harming higher national interests.

Kuwait had busted a similar cell just days ago.

Kuwait’s defenses also shot down on Thursday hostile rockets and drones that had breached its airspace.

In Bahrain, authorities arrested a cell accused of collaborating with Iran. It referred to the judiciary 14 people for contacting the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC).

The detainees received assistance and funds to support operations against Kuwait, saying the IRGC had tasked them with sending photos and information.

One of the detainees took photos and sent coordinates of vital installations to the Guards, said Manama. The IRGC had used the information received from the cell to carry out attacks against Bahrain.

On March 12, the interior ministry announced that it had arrested four citizens for collaborating with the IRGC. Two days prior, it arrested six people for sharing photos of damage caused by Iranian attacks and voicing sympathy with Tehran and its hostile activities.

On Thursday, Bahrain’s defenses downed a rocket and 19 drones. Authorities said they will continue to confront Iran’s heinous terrorist attacks.

Bahrain has so far destroyed 154 rockets and 350 drones since the hostilities began.

In the UAE, authorities said a person was killed and three wounded from falling shrapnel from a downed ballistic missile in Abu Dhabi. Several vehicles were also damaged in the incident.

Emirati defenses downed 15 ballistic missiles and 11 drones fired from Iran in recent hours.

Since the eruption of the conflict, defenses downed 372 ballistic missiles and 1,826 drones from Iran. Two members of the armed forces were killed while performing their national duties.