The Saudi Media Forum highlights the important international role of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Prince Bin Salman
The fourth Saudi Media Forum took place in a very special atmosphere due to the international spotlight that has placed Saudi Arabia at the centre of world attention over the last few days with the meeting between the heads of diplomacy of the United States and Russia, the restoration of relations with Ukraine as justification, and a summit of Middle Eastern countries to analyse the future of the region, specifically Gaza.
The theme of the Forum was ‘Media in an Evolving World’ and it brought together 200 speakers, including media professionals, academics, experts and specialists from the local and international arena.
The event featured 80 sessions including 40 panel discussions and 40 knowledge-sharing sessions, and served as an international platform for forecasting and developing the future of media and exploring the latest technologies. Some ideas: Artificial Intelligence must be used ‘intelligently,’ says the deputy managing editor of Arab News. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson praises the rapid transformation that Saudi Arabia is undergoing. Social media has fundamentally altered the traditional gatekeeping role of print and broadcast media, leading to greater challenges in balancing ethical standards with audience expectations.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence must be applied ‘intelligently’, said Arab News Deputy Editor-in-Chief Noor Nugali on Wednesday at the Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh.
‘In this era, AI must be used wisely; after all, Artificial Intelligence must be applied intelligently,’ he said.
‘We are currently living in the era of the AI revolution, where Artificial Intelligence is being used in all fields, institutions and even in education.’
In a session that addressed how new technologies and AI were shaping the news industry, Nugali stressed the importance of using AI in a way that supported and encouraged human learning ‘rather than relying on it to simply copy and paste’. ‘This also applies to the media,‘ he said. ‘Many people are concerned that Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT or other programmes are being used to write articles.’
Nugali emphasised that, while AI could help by providing background information or research, ‘it will never replace a human journalist when it comes to writing a fully developed article backed up by evidence and facts’.
In education, Nugali said it was unfortunate that some children used AI to write essays or research papers and emphasised that it should never be used for real intelligence.
Nugali was joined on the panel by Rashid Al-Hamer, editor of Bahrain's leading newspaper Al-Ayam, and Hatem Abu Nassif, president of the Radio and Television Authority.
Later, Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga Productions, spoke on a panel that addressed manga and Saudi-led content creation.
He said the Saudis were not just here to watch: ‘We are here to participate, compete and excel with our content and culture.’
He added that some 2.88 billion people, about 36% of the world's population, watch anime.
‘For years, people assumed that Saudi Arabia was simply a consumer (of anime content). But that has changed,’ he said.
‘We no longer see manga and anime as something imported from Japan; we see them as an art form through which we create content, share our culture and tell our own stories to the world.’
Bukhary pointed out that the Saudi Arabian anime series ‘Future's Folktales’ was broadcast in the Arab world, Japan, North America, Europe and India on eight platforms across five continents, obtaining more than 85 million views in just three months. An associated mobile game reached half a million downloads in three languages.
Saudi Arabia was taking the lead in creating anime content by producing animations, developing video games and creating comics that shared Saudi stories with the world.
Also speaking on the panel were Yves Blehaut, Director of Business Development for the Middle East and North Africa Region at Media-Participations, and Kazuko Ishikawa, President of the Japanese production association that produced the series ‘Sally’.
Social media
Experts highlight the impact of social media on traditional media standards
How X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and Instagram have eroded trust in the mainstream media. Expert Frank Kane noted, ‘I would trust the mainstream media to get things right any time on most modern social media websites.’
Social media has fundamentally altered the traditional gatekeeping role of print and broadcast media, creating greater challenges in balancing ethical standards with audience expectations, said Jamie Angus, former COO of Al-Arabiya Network.
Angus' comments came during a panel discussion, ‘Media Coverage of Crises: Challenges, Ethics and the Role of Technology,’ at the Saudi Media Forum.
‘Before social media, we were the gatekeepers
Angus said the rise of platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and Instagram has eroded trust in mainstream media as the public increasingly questions editorial decisions.
‘A small number of decision-makers in newsrooms controlled what the public saw, particularly sensitive images related to conflicts, such as graphic depictions of violence or victims,’ he said.
Angus said that traditional media historically balanced the need to avoid sanitising the realities of war with compliance with editorial standards.
‘Today, explicit and disturbing content circulates widely on platforms without warnings or context. The public now accuses the mainstream media of hiding truths that they can easily access on their phones,’ he added.
Angus noted the growing dissonance between media organisations and their audiences. ‘But the conversation has now changed when the public says, ‘I no longer trust the media, because they hide things from me that I can see on my phone.’
Angus said this poses a critical challenge for today's media environment.
He argued that the rampant dissemination of graphic content on social platforms puts pressure on traditional media to lower their standards to meet audience demands for unfiltered access, potentially compromising ethical guidelines.
Angus recognised the dilemma and said that if traditional media avoid showing certain images, the public could question their credibility.
Echoing concerns about the challenges of the digital age, Frank Kane, journalist and executive director of Sundog Education, emphasised the importance of re-establishing rigorous journalistic processes to counter misinformation while preserving independence.
Kane reflected on his experience in the UK print media during the 1980s: ‘There was a very rigorous structure to how news was verified, before it was printed and before it was published’.
Kane added that traditional newsrooms had layers of verification: reporters, sub-editors and news editors.
‘This was long before the days of citizen journalism, which, in many ways, is a good thing as it increases the number of sources you have and the overall potential for news gathering,’ he said.
But Kane emphasised the importance of traditional news verification techniques: ‘Although overall trust in the mainstream media has declined, I still think I would trust the mainstream media to get things right at any given time compared to most modern social media websites which seem to produce a lot of distortions, falsifications and inaccuracies.’
Boris Johnson praises Saudi Arabia's rapid transformation
Saudi Arabia's bold leadership and rapid transformation under ‘Vision 2030’ should serve as a model for other nations, said former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who, at the conclusion of the session, praised the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, quoting Winston Churchill: ‘Courage is the most important virtue, and this country is fortunate to have a leader with courage.’
Comparing the Kingdom's accelerated economic and infrastructure development with the UK's slow progress, Johnson emphasised Saudi Arabia's ability to execute large-scale projects efficiently, attributing the change to its decisive leadership.
‘I visited NEOM eight years ago and there was absolutely nothing there. Now, Saudi Arabia has built world-class tourist resorts, with 12,000 hotel rooms in development,’ he said. ‘Meanwhile, in the UK we are still struggling to complete a railway,’ he said.
Johnson praised Vision 2030 as the basis for Saudi Arabia's progress and emphasised its role in economic diversification, infrastructure expansion and social reforms. ‘Fifty percent of the Saudi economy is now not oil-based,’ he said, citing the Kingdom's shift to tourism, technology and renewable energy as key indicators of success.
Women's empowerment also featured prominently in his remarks. Johnson highlighted that the participation of Saudi women in the technology workforce now exceeds that of Silicon Valley and Europe. ‘Look at the speed of change,’ he said. ‘We in the UK need to learn from this.’
Afterlife economic reforms, Johnson recognised Saudi Arabia's growing diplomatic and geopolitical influence. He referred to its role in global debates and peace initiatives, and described the Kingdom as a key player in shaping the future of the region.
On the crisis in Gaza, Johnson called for strong leadership and reconciliation, urging the need for leaders with the courage to push for peace. ‘Saudi Arabia is playing a historic role in bringing long-term peace and prosperity to the region,’ he said.
Johnson compared Saudi Arabia's ability to quickly execute large-scale projects with the bureaucratic delays that plague infrastructure development in the UK. ‘$68 billion has been spent on these projects and we still can't complete a railway,’ he said, referring to the stalled UK High Speed 2 rail project.
‘Saudi Arabia is a country where things are happening with incredible speed and decisiveness. Frankly, we need to learn that in the UK,’ he added.
Focusing on the media and public perception, Johnson criticised the role of social media algorithms in shaping biased narratives. He said that platforms such as YouTube and X often reinforce pre-existing beliefs rather than offering balanced perspectives. ‘We need to make sure that the media presents balanced facts, rather than reinforcing pre-existing biases,’ he added.
Reflecting on his own career, Johnson spoke of his transition from journalism to politics and said he wanted to move from criticising policies to actively shaping them. ‘As a journalist, you throw stones. As a politician, you build,’ he added.
Johnson also pointed out the difficulty of leadership in a world driven by social media, where political figures face instant scrutiny and polarised opinions.