Inaugural Saudi Festival of Creativity to be held in Riyadh

Inaugural Saudi Festival of Creativity to be held in Riyadh
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Updated 01 June 2023
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Inaugural Saudi Festival of Creativity to be held in Riyadh

Inaugural Saudi Festival of Creativity to be held in Riyadh
  • Event to be hosted by Motivate Media Group, TRACCS

DUBAI: UAE-based Motivate Media Group, and communications consultancy TRACCS — which started in and is headquartered in Saudi Arabia — have announced the launch of the inaugural Athar — Saudi Festival of Creativity, in Riyadh in November.

The festival aims to bring together the creative and marketing industries in Saudi Arabia to recognize and celebrate them.

Mohamed Al-Ayed, vice chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, said that the event would “enable and empower a new generation of creative-first Saudi marketers and inspire the sustainable development of the country.” 

The festival — which is being held over four days — will include a variety of training courses, roundtables, C-suite sessions, young talent competitions, and an awards ceremony.

It will also boast exclusive programs for women and executive marketers.

The awards will be presented to agencies, networks, and brands, and will be verified by Cannes Lions and Dubai Lynx.

Ian Fairservice, chairman of Athar Festival and managing partner and group editor-in-chief of Motivate Media Group, said: “The festival will be a dynamic and vibrant meeting place in Saudi Arabia where culture, creativity, talent, and technology will collide.

“It is a celebration of the power of creativity in an environment that inspires cultural exchange, collaborative innovation, tangible learning, and training and development.”
 


French journalist arrested over document leaks of alleged France-Egypt spy operation

French journalist arrested over document leaks of alleged France-Egypt spy operation
Updated 21 sec ago
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French journalist arrested over document leaks of alleged France-Egypt spy operation

French journalist arrested over document leaks of alleged France-Egypt spy operation
  • Report found that French intelligence information had been hijacked by Egypt to target smugglers
  • Ariane Lavrilleux was released on Wednesday after public outcry

LONDON:  French journalist Ariane Lavrilleux was arrested and her home searched earlier this week for reporting on the alleged hijack of French intelligence information by Egypt two years ago, according to Disclose and Lavrilleux’s lawyer.

Investigative website Disclose published a series of articles authored by the Lavrilleux in November 2021 based on hundreds of secret documents.

It said they showed how information from a French counter-intelligence operation in Egypt intended to track jihadist militants, codenamed “Sirli,” was used by the Egyptian state for “a campaign of arbitrary killings” against smugglers operating along the Libyan border.

Lavrilleux, an investigative reporter working in the Middle East and based in Cairo, was released Wednesday evening after nearly two days in police custody.

Virginie Marquet, the lawyer for Lavrilleux and Disclose, condemned the arrest saying the published information is of public interest and “a new, unacceptable attack on the confidentiality of sources.”

Marquet said: “I am appalled and worried about the escalation in attacks on the freedom to inform and the coercive measures taken against the Disclose journalist. This search risks seriously undermining the confidentiality of journalists’ sources.”

Rights groups denounced the arrest and called for the investigation against her to be dropped, saying that questioning “reporters about their confidential sources places them under unwarranted pressure and could have a chilling effect on defense reporting.”

The initial Disclose articles said French forces were complicit in at least 19 bombings against smugglers between 2016 and 2018 in the region.

The documents showed there were warnings from officials within the French government, but the operation was not called into question, Disclose said.

Its publication prompted France’s armed forces minister to call for an investigation for “violation of national defense secrecy,” and a case was opened in July 2022 by the Paris prosecutor’s office that was then placed in the hands of France’s domestic intelligence agency, DGSI.

With AFP


Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox, News Corp

Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox, News Corp
Updated 21 September 2023
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Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox, News Corp

Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox, News Corp
  • His son, Lachlan Murdoch, to replace him

LONDON: Rupert Murdoch has stepped down as the chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp, ending a more than seven-decade career during which he created a media empire spanning from Australia to the United States.
His son, Lachlan Murdoch, will become the sole chairman of News Corp. and continue as the chair and CEO of Fox, the companies said on Thursday.
The news comes just months after Murdoch, 92, scrapped a plan that would have reunited his media empire by merging Fox and News Corp.
Murdoch, who has near-controlling stakes in both the companies, will be appointed chairman emeritus of both the companies.


Huawei to launch voice and video call app

Huawei to launch voice and video call app
Updated 21 September 2023
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Huawei to launch voice and video call app

Huawei to launch voice and video call app
  • GoChat Messenger will offer users free international calls, money transfers, other services

LONDON: Huawei Mobile Services announced on Thursday the addition of GoChat Messenger to the HUAWEI AppGallery, in collaboration with etisalat by e&.

GoChat Messenger is a free global voice and video calling app that offers a wide range of features, including free worldwide communication.

“The integration of GoChat Messenger, offered by etisalat by e&, into the Huawei Mobile Services’ ecosystem has been a remarkable achievement,” said William Hu, managing director of Huawei Consumer Business Group, Middle East and Africa Eco Development and Operation.

“This latest addition further enriches our array of products, catering to the escalating need for enhanced connectivity in the digital era.”

The GoChat Messenger, which officially debuted by the UAE telecom operator in 2022, is extended to both Huawei users and etisalat by e& customers.

The all-in-one app provides users with a wide range of services such as high-definition video call, secure money transfers, entertainment, news updates, and access to attractive deals and home services, as well as a new artificial intelligence feature called GoChat GPT.

In a statement, Huawei said that the collaboration with etisalat by e& is a testament to the growing popularity of Huawei devices in the Gulf region and Huawei’s commitment to providing its users with innovative solutions.


Namshi and adidas launch #YouthOfTheFuture campaign to celebrate Saudi National Day

Namshi and adidas launch #YouthOfTheFuture campaign to celebrate Saudi National Day
Updated 20 September 2023
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Namshi and adidas launch #YouthOfTheFuture campaign to celebrate Saudi National Day

Namshi and adidas launch #YouthOfTheFuture campaign to celebrate Saudi National Day

DUBAI: Online retailer Namshi and sportswear brand adidas have launched a new campaign, “#YouthOfTheFuture,” to celebrate Saudi National Day.

The digital-first campaign encourages Saudi youth to share a photo or video of adidas in Saudi Arabia on any social media platform for a chance to win SR1,000 Namshi credits, which can be spent on adidas products.

The photos or videos can be of any adidas product shot in the Kingdom.

“Namshi is a homegrown brand with deep roots in the Kingdom,” Areej Al-Babtain, project manager at Namshi, told Arab News.

“We’re proud to partner with adidas to celebrate local style, honoring the rich culture, heritage and unique identity that define Saudi Arabia this National Day,” she said.

Participants must tag @namshi, @adidas and #youthofthefuture in their posts, which will be reposted by Namshi on its social media channels. The post with the most likes will win SR1,000 in Namshi credits, which can be spent on adidas products.


Abu Dhabi crown prince launches new vision for Abu Dhabi Media

Abu Dhabi crown prince launches new vision for Abu Dhabi Media
Updated 20 September 2023
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Abu Dhabi crown prince launches new vision for Abu Dhabi Media

Abu Dhabi crown prince launches new vision for Abu Dhabi Media
  • Strategy underlines key role of media for emirate’s development, Sheikh Khaled said
  • Event unveils new network, multilingual channels, and children’s content

LONDON: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed has unveiled a new media strategy for the emirate.

During a launch ceremony held on Tuesday at Abu Dhabi National Theatre, Sheikh Khaled announced the launch of Aletihad News Centre, a new unified media center to provide coverage of local, regional and global developments.

The network will provide round-the-clock news bulletins across finance, business, economic affairs, sports and more, in a variety of languages.

Newspaper Aletihad and magazine Zahrat Al Khaleej will also be redesigned and offered in both English and Arabic, with the magazine focusing on showcasing the successes of women in the UAE and the Arab world.

The strategy also emphasizes the importance of producing rich, diverse and impactful children’s content, in both Arabic and English, for Majid magazine and Majid Kids TV.

Sheikh Khaled said that the new strategy is designed to enhance the landscape of public media, as well as develop engaging educational and informative content tailored to all segments of the community based on Emirati values.

The goal is to accelerate the growth of the knowledge economy across all media platforms, including broadcast, digital, and print, he explained.

At the event, which was also attended by Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, chairman of the National Media Office, Sheikh Khaled emphasized the UAE leadership’s commitment to the media sector and its role in supporting the country’s progress and prosperity over the past 50 years.