The Saudi Media Forum enters Guinness and honors its award winners

of the Saudi Media Forum concluded in Riyadh , setting a new Guinness World Record for attendance. The forum and its accompanying Future of Media Exhibition (FOMEX) attracted 65,603 visitors. The exceptional closing ceremony was attended by Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossari, along with a host of dignitaries and media professionals from around the world, reflecting the Kingdom's growing prominence as a regional and international media hub.

A global achievement and in line with Vision 2030

This record-breaking achievement is the culmination of tireless efforts to bolster the media industry in the Kingdom, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which prioritizes the media and entertainment sector as a cornerstone of soft power and economic diversification. The closing ceremony witnessed the presentation of the official certificate from Guinness World Records representatives, a testament to the forum's success in attracting both public and professional attention, transforming it from a mere annual event into a major interactive platform.

Institutional transformation and sustainable initiatives

In his address at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Saudi Media Forum, Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harthi, emphasized that this success is the fruit of collective effort and strategic partnerships, noting that the Forum is steadily progressing towards sustainable institutional work. Al-Harthi announced a package of high-quality initiatives aimed at empowering the sector, most notably the Media Innovation Center, the "Growth" initiative to support entrepreneurs in the media field, the "Media Ambassadors" initiative to cultivate the talents of university students, and the "Light" initiative to disseminate media expertise throughout the Kingdom.

Fomex Exhibition: A Window to the Future

The success wasn't limited to the panel discussions, which featured nearly 300 speakers, but extended to the Future of Media Exhibition (FOMEX), which attracted more than 250 local and international companies. These companies showcased the latest technologies in content creation, artificial intelligence, and digital broadcasting, giving visitors the opportunity to explore cutting-edge communication technologies and reinforcing the theme of "Media in a Changing World," which was the slogan of this edition.

List of winners of the Saudi Media Forum awards

The ceremony witnessed the crowning of creative individuals in various media fields, in recognition of their excellence and contribution to enriching the media landscape. The list of winners is as follows:

• Media Personality of the Year: Awarded to the esteemed media figure, Dr. Hussein Najjar, in recognition of his distinguished career in Saudi radio and television.
• Global Competitor Award: Won by Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, General Supervisor of the King Salman Relief Center.
• Journalism: Khaled Al-Badr won the Press Report Award, Abdulhadi Habtour won the Press Interview Award, while Dr. Mohammed Al-Rumaihi won the Press Column Award.
• Academic research: The award went to researcher Lama Al-Sahli.
• Audio-visual production: The "Rachid Show" program from Morocco won the talk show award, and the Ministry of Culture won the podcast award for the "Podcast 1949" program.
• National Days and Events: The Tourism Development Fund won the National Day Award for the work "What have you heard about Saudi Arabia?", the Ministry of Defense won the Founding Day Award for the film "Al-Awja", and the Vision 2030 account won the Flag Day Award.

The ceremony concluded with honoring partners and sponsors and taking commemorative photos, bringing to a close an exceptional edition that set new standards for media events in the region.