NEOM and Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) form a strategic partnership to strengthen their collaboration

NEOM, Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, July 29, 2024: NEOM Media Industries Sector and the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) have unveiled a successful strategic partnership to produce mainstream local episodic content while simultaneously propelling the growth of a vibrant Saudi talent pool.

As part of the collaboration, SBA and NEOM Industry Learning are co-developing training programs across the entire creative industries value chain. These programs are strategically designed to contribute to SBA’s digital transformation efforts and concurrently nurture the Saudi component of its workforce. The joint efforts reflect a commitment to building a robust foundation for the media industry in Saudi Arabia, ensuring a skilled and capable workforce is equipped for the challenges and opportunities of the digital era. Through this program, 80 trainees will graduate by 2025. In addition, each TV production will support placements to offer invaluable on-set, hands-on experience.

Nadhmi Al-Nasr, Chief Executive Officer of NEOM, said: “At NEOM, we are committed to reinforcing our leadership position and establishing a premier hub for the media industries that competes on a global scale. This initiative is pivotal in accelerating our ascent to regional and global prominence. We anticipate that this strategic partnership will catalyze innovation, spur economic growth and strengthen cultural foundations, thereby advancing our vision of significantly contributing to the evolution of the global media landscape. In collaboration with (SBA), we aim to harness and elevate local talent, bringing regional narratives and productions to the international forefront. This partnership is set to redefine media and cultural perceptions globally, bridging cross-cultural boundaries.”

Mohammed bin Fahad Al-Harthi, CEO of SBA, said: “We are committed to producing original local content with international standards, and at the same time empowering local talents to work on such high-caliber projects, side by side with stars from all over the Arab world and highly-acclaimed crew members. Our partnership with NEOM embodies every aspect of this vision. With its cutting-edge infrastructure and commitment to invest in local talents, NEOM aligns with SBA’s goal to produce authentic Saudi content with a global visibility and to enrich local expertise.” 

As a testament to the depth and ambition of this alliance, SBA is exploring the prospect of establishing an ongoing operational presence within the NEOM Media Hub, harnessing the advantages of cutting-edge infrastructure, technology services, financial production incentives and a regulatory framework which is resonating within the industry. These factors are attracting productions and media companies from the region and beyond. This partnership is part of a long-term plan where SBA will take up residency in the forthcoming end-state hub on THE LINE. 

This collaboration has already resulted in the successful production of the local reality TV series, ‘Unbreakable,’ which is now in pre-production for its second season. This marks the initiation of a strong pipeline of six productions across multiple genres and formats. With the support of NEOM, SBA endeavors to consistently develop and acquire programs that will be produced, either partially or entirely, in NEOM.