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

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG)
Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG)
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SRMG Develops Digital Platforms of its Newspapers, Announces New Editorial Appointments

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG)
Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG)

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.”

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Varieties

To Save Spotted Owls, US Officials Plan to Kill Half-million of Another Owl Species

California spotted owls were proposed for federal protections last year. A decision is pending. - The AP
California spotted owls were proposed for federal protections last year. A decision is pending. - The AP
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To Save Spotted Owls, US Officials Plan to Kill Half-million of Another Owl Species

California spotted owls were proposed for federal protections last year. A decision is pending. - The AP
California spotted owls were proposed for federal protections last year. A decision is pending. - The AP

To save the imperiled spotted owl from potential extinction, US wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters into dense West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their smaller cousins.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday was expected to release its final plan to prop up declining spotted owl populations in Oregon, Washington state and California. The Associated Press obtained details in advance.

The plan calls for killing up to 470,000 barred owls over three decades after the birds from the eastern US encroached into the territory of two West Coast owls: northern spotted owls and California spotted owls. The smaller spotted owls have been unable to compete for food and habitat with the invaders.

Past efforts to save spotted owls focused on protecting the forests where they live. But the proliferation of barred owls in recent years is undermining that earlier work, officials said.

“We're at a crossroads. We have the science that indicates what we need to do to conserve the spotted owls, and that requires that we take action on the barred owls,” said Bridget Moran, a deputy state supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Oregon.

The notion of killing one bird species to save another has divided wildlife advocates and conservationists. Some grudgingly accepted the proposal after a draft version was announced last year; others denounced it as reckless and a diversion from needed forest preservation.

Barred owls already are being killed in spotted owl habitats for research purposes, with about 4,500 removed since 2009, said Robin Bown, barred owl strategy leader for the Fish and Wildlife Service. Those targeted included barred owls in California's Sierra Nevada region, where the animals have only recently arrived and officials want to stop populations from taking hold.

In other areas where barred owls are more established, officials aim to reduce their numbers but acknowledge shooting owls is unlikely to eliminate them entirely.

The new plan follows decades of conflict between conservationists and timber companies that cut down vast areas of older forests where spotted owls reside.

Early efforts to save the birds culminated in logging bans in the 1990s that roiled the timber industry and its political supporters in Congress.

Yet spotted owl populations continued to decline after barred owls first started showing up on the West Coast several decades ago.

Opponents say the mass killing of barred owls would cause severe disruption to forest ecosystems and could lead to other species — including spotted owls — being mistakenly shot. They’ve also challenged the notion that barred owls don’t belong on the West Coast, characterizing their expanding range as a natural ecological phenomenon.

“The practical elements of the plan are unworkable, and its adverse collateral effects would ripple throughout these forest habitats,” critics of the plan wrote in a letter earlier this year to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland that was signed by representatives of dozens of animal welfare groups.

Researchers say barred owls moved westward by one of two routes: across the Great Plains, where trees planted by settlers gave them a foothold in new areas; or via Canada’s boreal forests, which have become more hospitable as temperatures rise because of climate change.

Supporters of killing barred owls to save spotted owls include the American Bird Conservancy and other conservation groups.

“Our organizations stand in full support of barred owl removal as a necessary measure, together with increased habitat protections for all remaining mature and old-growth forests," the groups said in comments on a draft proposal to remove barred owls that was released last year.

Northern spotted owls are federally protected as a threatened species. Federal officials determined in 2020 that their continued decline merited an upgrade to the more critical designation of “endangered.” But the Fish and Wildlife Service refused to do so at the time, saying other species took priority.

California spotted owls were proposed for federal protections last year. A decision is pending.

Under former President Donald Trump, government officials stripped habitat protections for spotted owls at the behest of the timber industry. Those were reinstated under President Joe Biden after the Interior Department said political appointees under Trump relied on faulty science to justify their weakening of protections.