Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Al-Khodairy speaks to Saudi editors in chief during a meeting at the ministry’s TV Tower in Riyadh on Wednesday. (SPA)

Newly appointed Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Al-Khodairy has unveiled a new vision for the Kingdom’s media to foster cooperation between the people and the authorities and to ensure development and improve quality.

Speaking to the editors in chief of Saudi newspapers and magazines at the Ministry of Information’s TV Tower in Riyadh on Wednesday, Al-Khodairy said local media organizations have excelled in covering national and international events.

Speaking to the editors in chief of Saudi newspapers and magazines at his office in Riyadh on Wednesday, Al-Khodairy said local media organizations have excelled in covering national and international events. He praised Saudi media houses for highlighting the Kingdom’s achievements, but stressed on the role media can play in highlighting the facts and promoting moral and ethical values.

Outlining his vision for the sector, he said there should be further improvements. He set up a working team to develop the ideas presented by the editors during the meeting.

This was Al-Khodairy’s first meeting with Saudi editors in chief after his appointment as minister on Dec. 8, filling the post vacated by Abdul Aziz Khoja. The new minister wants to strengthen cooperation between the media and government departments.

He has indicated that he wants to bring about a paradigm shift in the media sector by improving the quality of production. In a meeting earlier this month with television producers, Al-Khodairy said: “Forget about the past. Let’s focus on the future.”

He also reminded them that Saudi Television was not a charity, and there should be a total overhaul of its programs to attract more viewers.

A former columnist, Al-Khodairy’s opinion articles on current affairs were read widely. He is well versed on how the media functions, including its challenges.

Al-Khodairy has held several top government positions. He worked as deputy governor of Makkah and Asir regions, assistant minister of municipal and rural affairs for town planning, chairman of the Saudi Society for Urban Science, technical director for a UN project for regional development and associate professor at King Saud University.

He is author of several influential books including Balanced and Sustained Development in Saudi Arabia, Strategic Planning: Risks and Opportunities, and Women and Future Development.

Al-Khodairy holds a doctorate degree in strategic planning from the University of London. He also holds a master’s degree and fellowship from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, in town planning and regional planning, and another master’s degree in public administration and development policies from Harvard.

The new minister urges focus on quality.

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