SRMG Develops Digital Platforms of its Newspapers, Announces New Editorial Appointments

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), the largest integrated media group in the Middle East and North Africa, announced the development of several digital platforms for some of its newspapers.

Additionally, SRMG appointed several new editors-in-chief and deputy editors-in-chief.

The announcement aligns with SRMG’s digital transformation, growth, and expansion strategy, demonstrating the Group’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of journalists and media professionals to meet the demands of audiences worldwide.

The new developments included Arriyadiyah, al-Eqtisadiah, and Malayalam News, effective Jan. 19, 2024.

The decision also reflects the significant shift in regional media consumption habits, particularly with the rising popularity of digital, social, and audio-visual media platforms.

The developments will optimize SRMG’s operational efficiency and support the production of innovative digital products across audio, video, and written formats, creating new and diverse content offerings and marketing opportunities for advertisers across its digital platforms.

Additionally, SRMG announced several appointments at the editor-in-chief level, empowering the next generation of media professionals and journalists.

The individuals have demonstrated the skills and knowledge to meet the evolving demands of SRMG’s diverse audience across different generations, backgrounds, and interests.

Ibrahim Hamidi has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of al-Majalla, the Arab world’s leading current and political affairs magazine.

With more than 22 years of experience, he has held various editorial positions at al-Hayat Newspaper, including Director of the publication’s office in Damascus.

Since 2017, he has served as a Senior Diplomatic Editor and Writer, covering Syrian affairs at Asharq Al-Awsat.

Additionally, he oversaw the digital transformation of al-Majalla, leading to an impressive annual increase of 1704 percent in views.

Mohammed al-Bishi has been appointed as the Acting Editor-in-Chief of AlEqtisadiah, in addition to maintaining his current role as Managing Editor of Asharq Business with Bloomberg in Saudi Arabia.

Bishi has held many editorial positions at Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Eqtisadiah, and Asharq Business with Bloomberg, ranked number one for digital economy news.

Bishi’s extensive economic and editorial expertise has played a pivotal role in the growth of Asharq Business with Bloomberg since its inception.

It comes following the latest strategic decision from SRMG to restructure al-Eqtisadiah under Asharq Business with Bloomberg, allowing it to focus on the most critical global business and economic news and its impact on the region through in-depth, high-quality analysis and coverage.

SRMG has appointed several new assistant editors-in-chief and deputy editors-in-chief to sustain high-quality editorial processes, transfer knowledge and skills, and create innovative media content.

Mohamed Hani has been appointed Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, the leading international Pan-Arab newspaper.

Hani brings a wealth of experience, having served in various editorial positions at al-Hayat and Asharq Al-Awsat.

He played a pivotal role in the recent revamp of Asharq Al-Awsat, overseeing the media title’s digital transformation and growth strategy by drawing on his extensive experience in modern content management systems.

Zaid bin Kami has been named deputy editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat. He previously served as Assistant Editor-in-Chief of al-Eqtisadiah and Director of Economic News at Asharq Al-Awsat.

Additionally, he worked as managing editor of Asharq Al-Awsat in Saudi Arabia from 2009 to 2014.

He brings extensive experience in both print and video journalism, specializing in economics. He has actively participated in several international conferences, showcasing his broad and diverse expertise.

Noor Nugali has been appointed Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, having progressed through various editorial assignments.

Notably, Nugali played a significant role in the launch of the digital version of Arab News in French in 2020. She has also conducted prominent interviews with leading political figures, including US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Nugali has been instrumental in covering high-level conferences and has been part of the media delegation for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s international tours.

May al-Sharif has been appointed as the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Independent Arabia, having held several editorial positions within the publication, including her most recent role as Supervising Manager of the Riyadh office.

During her tenure in the content creation department, Sharif effectively implemented various projects and documentaries.

Additionally, she oversaw the media title’s social media accounts, contributing significantly to the publication’s establishment and development stages.

Commenting on this important step in SRMG’s digital transformation SRMG, CEO Jomana al-Rashid said: “We are proud of SRMG’s achievements over the past three years since launching our ambitious growth and transformation strategy.”

Rashid stated that this strategy was developed to address growing audience demand for accurate, in-depth, credible, and high-quality content, and “our investments aim to further cement the Group’s rich journalistic history through modern, innovative products and services.”

Rashid stressed that the Group’s growth and expansion strategy is “focused on maintaining our leading role at the forefront of the regional media landscape and reaffirming our commitment to meet the needs of our diverse audiences, utilizing innovative digital platforms.”

A scientist guides a long tube into the mouth and down to the stomach of Thing 1, a two-month-old calf that is part of a research project aiming to prevent cows from burping methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Paulo de Meo Filho, a postdoctoral researcher at University of California, Davis, is part of an ambitious experiment aiming to develop a pill to transform cow gut bacteria so it emits less or no methane.

While the fossil fuel industry and some natural sources emit methane, cattle farming has become a major climate concern due to the sheer volume of the cows' emissions.

"Almost half of the increase in (global) temperature that we've had so far, it's been because of methane," said Ermias Kebreab, an animal science professor at UC Davis.

Methane, the second largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, breaks down faster than CO2 but is more potent.

"Methane lives in the atmosphere for about 12 years" unlike carbon dioxide which persists for centuries, Kebreab said.

"If you start reducing methane now, we can actually see the effect on the temperature very quickly."

Filho uses the tube to extract liquid from Thing 1's rumen -- the first stomach compartment containing partially digested food.

Using the rumen liquid samples, the scientists are studying the microbes that convert hydrogen into methane, which is not digested by the cow but instead burped out.

A single cow will burp roughly 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of the gas annually.

- 'Social critters' -

Thing 1 and other calves receive a seaweed-supplemented diet to reduce methane production.

Scientists hope to achieve similar results by introducing genetically modified microbes that soak up hydrogen, starving methane-producing bacteria at the source.

However, the team proceeds cautiously.

"We can't just simply cut down methane production by removing" methane-making bacteria, as hydrogen could accumulate to the point of harming the animal, warned Matthias Hess, who runs the UC Davis lab.

"Microbes are kind of social critters. They really like to live together," he said.

"The way they interact and affect each other impacts the overall function of the ecosystem."

Hess's students test different formulas in bioreactors, vessels that reproduce microorganisms' living conditions in a stomach from movements to temperature.

- More productive cows -

The project is being carried out at UC Davis as well as UC Berkeley's Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI).

IGI scientists are trying to identify the right microbe -- the one they hope to genetically alter to supplant methane-producing microbes.

The modified microorganisms will then be tested at UC Davis in the lab and in the animals.

"Not only are we trying to reduce methane emissions, but you also increase the feed efficiency," said Kebreab.

"Hydrogen and methane, they are both energy, and so if you reduce that energy and redirect it to something else... we have a better productivity and lower emissions at the same time."

The ultimate goal is a single-dose treatment administered early in life, since most cattle graze freely and can't receive daily supplements.

The three research teams have been given $70 million and seven years to achieve a breakthrough.

Kebreab has long studied sustainable livestock practices and pushes back against calls to reduce meat consumption to save the planet.

While acknowledging this might work for healthy adults in developed nations, he pointed to countries like Indonesia, where the government is seeking to increase meat and dairy production because 20 percent of children under five suffer from stunted growth.

"We can't tell them to not eat meat," he said.

SRMG Develops Digital Platforms of its Newspapers, Announces New Editorial Appointments