Saudi Minister of Media Launches SPA News Training Academy in Riyadh
Salman Al-Dosari, Minister of Media for Saudi Arabia, formally opened the "SPA Academy for News Training" at Saudi Press Agency (SPA) headquarters in Riyadh on Saturday.
By using SPA's long-standing knowledge in the news business and distributing foreign skills, this new academy is meant to improve the agency's capacities.
Al-Dosari underlined during the launch that the Academy will use SPA's resources and worldwide contacts to provide foreign knowledge to its associates. The academy wants to profit from the more than five decades of experience SPA's team has gathered so that the following generation of media professionals inherits this body of knowledge.
As part of the larger expansion plan lately approved by the Saudi Press Agency's Board of Directors, Ali Al-Zaid, the acting president of the agency, emphasized the value of the SPA Academy. Aimed at improving the quality and professionalism of Saudi news reporting, he said the academy is an essential addition to the media industry. Based on collaborations with top local and worldwide institutions, the academy's training courses will be based on all meant to promote accuracy, objectivity, and professionalism in the media scene.
The SPA Academy CEO, Tariq Alsheikh, offered opinions on future events of the institution. The academy will publish its formal training plan by the end of 2024, with particular attention to provide customized programs for trainees from different government departments. One of the main objectives of the Academy, Alsheikh clarified, is to support graduate training and development. Launched in association with important partners including the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), the Human Capacity Development Program, and commercial sector companies, these initiatives will Between 2025 and 2026 these training projects will take conducted.
Apart from aiming at government graduates and trainees, the SPA Academy will also carry out tailored training for reporters. The academy's internet platform and social media platforms will be used to provide specifics on these initiatives, therefore guaranteeing that reporters have access to the tools required for professional development.
Signing of several important agreements with well-known institutions accompanied the opening of the SPA Academy. Among the colleagues are Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, the Institute of Public Administration, King Abdulaziz University, the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), the National Center for E-Learning, the Saudi Accreditation Center, and Microsoft. These alliances will give the Academy great support, therefore enabling its goal of training and developing the next generation of Saudi media professionals.
The introduction of the SPA Academy is considered as a calculated attempt to improve Saudi Arabia 's news output and bring it into line with world standards. The Academy is poised to be rather important in determining the direction of media and journalism in the Kingdom by funding innovative training initiatives and developing relationships with internationally known universities, Reflecting Saudi Arabia's larger Vision 2030 objectives, which center on using innovation, education, and teamwork to modernize several industries, including media, the effort represents
Furthermore, the Academy intends to meet the changing needs of the media environment by creating and implementing training courses for seasoned reporters as well as fresh graduates, As stressed by its alliance with SDAIA and Microsoft, this includes the integration of sophisticated technologies and data-driven journalism, The focus on digital skills and artificial intelligence captures the rising relevance of these instruments in contemporary news coverage and media production.
The SPA Academy for News Training represents a turning point in the evolution of Saudi Arabia's media landscape, The Academy is positioned to have a long-lasting effect on the news sector of the Kingdom by supporting local talent, foreign alliances, and current technologies, so guaranteeing its development and success in a world growingly global.