Saudi Arabia wins the presidency of the Arab States Broadcasting Union for the third time
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved a new media milestone, reflecting its leading position in the region, by winning the presidency of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) for the third consecutive term, with the unanimous support of member states. Mr. Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harthi, CEO of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority and Chairman of the Saudi Media Forum , was elected president of the union, which is the largest umbrella organization for radio and television broadcasters in the Arab world.
Significance of the victory and the historical standing of Al-Ittihad
This Arab consensus on renewing confidence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirms Riyadh's pivotal role in supporting the system of joint Arab action. The Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), established in Khartoum in February 1969 and headquartered in Tunis, is one of the most important professional organizations under the umbrella of the League of Arab States. Since its inception, the Union has aimed to strengthen ties and enhance cooperation among Arab radio stations, and to develop their methods and content in a way that serves the higher Arab causes.
This victory is of particular importance in light of the radical transformations taking place in the media sector globally, as the Kingdom is seen as a leader of the media development engine in the region, supported by Vision 2030, which has given the media sector great attention and transformed it into an influential industry and an important economic and cultural tributary.
Quality initiatives and a future vision
Al-Harthi's selection was not a coincidence, but rather the culmination of tireless efforts undertaken during previous presidential terms, which witnessed the launch of a series of high-quality initiatives that contributed to developing the infrastructure of Arab radio and television broadcasting. During its presidency, the Kingdom focused on strengthening coordination and integration among media institutions, exchanging expertise, and addressing the challenges of new digital media.
Through its continued presidency of the Union, the Kingdom seeks to achieve long-term strategic goals, most notably:
- Unifying the Arab media discourse on critical issues.
- Investing in young Arab media talents and training them on the latest technologies.
- Building an Arab media system capable of competing internationally and keeping pace with the digital revolution and artificial intelligence.
Supporting leadership and empowering the sector
In his first statement following the victory, the Federation President, Mohammed Al-Harthi, expressed his deepest gratitude and appreciation to the wise leadership – may God protect them – praising the unlimited support that the media sector and media professionals receive in the Kingdom. He also expressed his thanks to His Excellency the Minister of Media, Mr. Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossari, commending his continuous support, which has had a significant impact on enabling media initiatives and enhancing the Kingdom's presence in international forums.
Al-Harthi stressed that renewing confidence in the Kingdom for the third time places a great responsibility on it to continue the development process, noting that the next stage will be the stage of “digital transformation and content creation,” where the focus will be on developing joint media work tools in a way that keeps pace with rapid global changes and fulfills the aspirations of the Arab peoples for professional, honest, and modern media.
It is worth noting that this extension is considered an international and regional testament to the success of the Saudi media strategy, and its ability to lead the Arab media scene towards broader horizons of cooperation and professionalism.
