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.”

Traditional clay pottery is seeing a resurgence in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians are forced to find solutions for a shortage of plates and other crockery to eat from in the territory ravaged by more than a year of war.

"There is an unprecedented demand for plates as no supplies enter the Gaza Strip," 26-year-old potter Jafar Atallah said in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah.

The vast majority of the Palestinian territory's 2.4 million people have been displaced, often multiple times, by the war that began with Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Fleeing bombs amid Israel's devastating retaliatory military offensive, which has destroyed large amounts of civilian infrastructure, everyday items like cups and bowls have often been lost, broken or left behind to perish.

With imports made increasingly difficult by Israeli restrictions and the dangers of delivering aid, Gazans have had to find resourceful ways to meet their needs since the war began.

- Bare-bones -

To keep up with demand, Atallah works non-stop, producing around 100 pieces a day, mainly bowls and cups, a stark contrast to the 1,500 units his factory in northern Gaza made before the war.

It is one of the numerous factories in Gaza to have shut down, with many destroyed during air strikes, inaccessible because of the fighting, or unable to operate because of materials and electricity shortages.

Today, Atallah works out of a bare-bones workshop set up under a thin blue plastic sheet.

He carefully shapes the clay into much-needed crockery, then leaves his terracotta creations to dry in the sun -- one of the few things Gaza still has plenty of.

Each object is sold for 10 shekels, the equivalent of $2.70 -- nearly five times what it was worth before the war led to widespread shortages and sent prices soaring.

Gazans have told AFP they are struggling to find all types of basic household goods.

"After 13 months of war, I went to the market to buy plates and cutlery, and all I could find was this clay pot," said Lora al-Turk, a 40-year-old mother living in a makeshift shelter in Nuseirat, a few kilometers (miles) from Deir al-Balah.

"I was forced to buy it to feed my children," she said, noting that the pot's price was now more than double what it was before the war.

- Old ways -

The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 44,176 people, most of them civilians, according to data from Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry which the United Nations considers reliable.

Following each Israeli army evacuation order, which generally precedes fighting and bombing, masses of people take to the roads, often on foot, carrying whatever they can manage.

But with each passing month and increasing waves of displacement, the loads they carry grow smaller.

Many Gazans now live in tents or other makeshift shelters, and some even on bare pavement.

The United Nations has warned about the threat of diseases in the often cramped and unsanitary conditions.

But for Gazans, finding inventive ways to cope with hardship is nothing new.

In this, the worst-ever Gaza war, people are using broken concrete from war-damaged buildings to build makeshift homes. With fuel and even firewood scarce, many rely on donkeys for transport. Century-old camping stoves are reconditioned and used for cooking.

Traditional pottery is another sign of a return to the old ways of living.

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