No one following developments in the Arab world can miss the transformative progress being made. This progress was accompanied by some ambiguity in the vision for it and an array of changes and formations that have become a hallmark of our era. The media scene has not been isolated from these changes, both the positive and the negative.
Given the interconnectedness of these developments and the many changes that have defined the state of affairs we now find ourselves in, those behind the Arab media must take a stand. They must determine how to contextualize the prestigious Arab media, which always strives for excellence both regionally and internationally. The contemporary media in a changing world thus became the most prominent topic at the Twenty-Second edition of the Arab Radio and Television Festival. The Festival scheduled for November will be held in Riyadh, the first city outside of Tunisia to host it.
This capital is open to the world, and it does not merely want to elevate Saudi Arabia’s standing but that of the entire Arab world. Indeed, Riyadh has become a global capital for entrepreneurship and leadership in all fields, political, economic, cultural, artistic, technological, environmental and media, which is the focus of this article.
Observers are awaiting the twenty-second edition of the Festival, which is considered a genuinely massive media event. It will shed light on the Arab media and how to develop it by enhancing communication and sharing expertise, elevating the quality of production across the region such that it keeps up with the progress being made elsewhere in the world. The Festival will do so by focusing on the most consequential matters that can enhance the communication between committees and media outlets, be it among the members of the Arab States Broadcasting Union or between these countries and committees of other institutions and bodies.
Over 1000 men and women journalists will take part in the Festival. They work for several of the world’s and the region’s most prominent media outlets, and they have been invited to achieve several important strategic goals. Realizing these objectives will enhance and develop joint action in the Arab media. The most important among them are contributing to the development and monitoring of new, serious trends in Arab radio and television production; facilitating communication, cooperation, and exchange of expertise among the participants; and encouraging producers to meet the demands of listeners and viewers and to raise awareness on cultural, scientific, and aesthetic matters in their productions. The Festival will also focus on encouraging Arab radio and television productions that strive to shed light on Arab and Islamic history, as well as the contemporary Arab and Muslim worlds.
Over four days, specialists and those interested in the Arab media will be offered the chance to attend a diverse array of events. We have ensured that these events will rise to the expectations of those in the field. We have also taken care to ensure that they cover the most important topics and issues in contemporary Arab media by holding several workshops and lectures that will shed light on everything new in the media scene. This will be achieved through the exchange of expertise, as well as going over successes from across the globe and what modern technology has done for the media, especially social media, which has prevailed in the modern media age.
The Future of Media Exhibition, one of the biggest on the topic, will also be held in parallel. It covers the latest experiences with media production, and it will see broad participation from production, marketing, advertising, music, communications, and technology companies and institutions. Indeed, the exhibition aims to invigorate radio and television productions, as well as lay the groundwork for the exchange of ideas and debate over the latest developments and innovations in modern communication technology.
In conclusion, we are about to hold this massive media event. We are full of hope and driven by passion, as we want to ensure that this edition is a success and that we will present reliable and thoughtful content that the efforts made in this regard deserve. We want to project a clear image of what contemporary Arab media should look like, emphasizing that we are determined to continue to pursue our strategic goals, which would guarantee the creation of excellent media work distinguished by its inspiration from the past, loyalty to the present, and hope in the future in a world the is changing and taking form rapidly.
