Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

The future of media in the MENA at forefront of SRMG pavilion at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity

The future of media in the MENA at forefront of SRMG pavilion at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) kicked off a series of interactive panel discussions and conversations on Monday at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The panels explored leading issues in the industry such as digital wellness, sustainability in fashion, the future of podcasts, innovation trends and opportunities in the evolving media landscape.

The SRMG panels hosted special guests, including advertising legend Sir Martin Sorrell, co-founder of S4S Ventures, Nadja Bellan-White, global CMO of VICE Media Group, Claudius Boller, Spotify’s MEA managing director, and many more.

The first day of the event included panels on sustainable fashion and the future of podcasting in the Middle East.

In the “Local Voices, Global Thoughts: Podcasting in the Middle East” panel, moderated Arab News’ Media Editor Tarek Ali Ahmad, homegrown talents gave their thoughts on a nascent industry that is bursting with potential, alongside Spotify’s Boller.

Abdulrahman Abumalih, CEO of Thmanyah, said that the regional podcast industry differs from visual and written mediums as it relies on local content directed to a local audience.

The panel also heard from Leila Hamadeh, the CEO and co-founder of UAE-based Finyal Media, who told the audience that the podcast industry in the Middle East is still at an early stage in terms of production volume, pointing to the opportunities offered by different types of podcasts, adding that there is a need to expand on them.

The preceding panel, “Sustainable Fashion looks good on you,” explored best practices to ensure sustainability in the fashion industry.

Lama Al-Shethry, editor-in-chief of Sayidaty and Al-Jamila magazines, said that sustainability in fashion is being delivered through environmentally friendly production cycles, fair labor, recycling and upcycling used clothing, as well as the trend towards digital fashion.

Al-Shethry drew attention to the importance of raising awareness about sustainability in the industry, especially among the new generation, and argued against the explosion of fast fashion in recent decades. Al-Shathri added that many consumers do not realize that producing a single cotton shirt uses 2,700 liters of water.

“High fashion companies are on the right track by offering second-hand fashion, while fast fashion companies are pushing low-quality, low-cost products, but their environmental costs are high,” she said.

CEO of SRMG Jomana Rashed Al-Rashid said the group is shaping the conversation around the evolving media landscape, investing in new innovative products, technologies and solutions for the full line-up of its 30-plus brands and digital platforms providing the latest in lifestyle, sports, financial, and political news and analysis.

“SRMG is very proud to host industry thought leaders, game changers, and content creators at The SRMG Experience,” Al-Rashid said. “Our program of events will drive real conversations around the most impactful issues and key opportunities to enhance positive development in the industry at large.”

SRMG, one of the largest media and publishing groups in the Middle East, owns more than 30 major media outlets in the region, including Arab News, Asharq Al-Awsat, Asharq News and Sayyidaty.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
×