‘We will nurture local talent in Saudi Arabia and develop the country’s creative thinkers’. The CEO of Rotana Media Group, Mr. Turki Al Shabana, told an audience of leading CEOs and government officials at the Asbar World Forum about its new initiative to support young Saudi graduates in the field of media production.

Working with a predominantly young and talented Saudi workforce, the media group has turned ideas into reality for the country’s aspiring entertainment industry. For example, Rotana produced the first Oscar nominated Saudi movie Wadjda, which was released in 2012, and supported the inaugural Saudi Film Festival. These are exciting times for Saudi as it moves towards opening more cinemas and expanding its media production – and Rotana is playing a key role in helping young people to build and grow their skill set in this field.

Mr. Shabana was a special guest at the Asbar World Forum in Riyadh, where he proposed Rotana’s latest idea – to support and develop young Saudis who are pursuing a career in media production.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Shabana said: “Every year, Rotana receives a significant number of creative ideas and projects from young Saudi talent. While many of these ideas have great promise, most of them lack any basic foundation.  “Therefore, the Rotana Media Group wants to work with the General Organization of Small and Medium Enterprises to improve and develop these ideas into solid, successful films of the future. We believe that this will help to attract significant investment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”