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DAMMAM – The role of the Saudi media in supporting the Kingdoms development process and economic growth, and media practitioners responsibility in enhancing progress in the private business sector will be the key topics to be discussed in a dialogue between officials of the Ministry of Culture and Information, leading businessmen, and representatives of the media sector.

The dialogue on March 14 at the Asharqia Chambers of Commerce and Industry will be sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Information and hosted by the Asharqia Chambers.

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JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia will soon have its own integrated media city that will help boost media activities in the Kingdom, said Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdul Aziz Khoja.

The minister who made the comments to the Saudi Journalists Association during a meeting with its members in Riyadh on Tuesday did not reveal where or when the city would see the light. He, however, revealed that the city would be big and would be established in one of the Kingdoms cities. We have already selected a suitable place for the project, he said without revealing the site.

Dr. Khoja said new rules and regulations for publications, taking into account new developments in the media field, would be issued soon. The Saudi audio-visual media are currently witnessing a remarkable progress and there is a lot of effort being exerted toward this end which would soon bear fruit, he said.

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JEDDAH – The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has called for more efforts to promote and protect women rights.

In a report issued Sunday, the HRC said that “the margin of freedom given to a Saudi woman is expanding, and that the system is protecting her rights and guaranteeing her a decent life.”

The report added that many Saudi women are enjoying independence with dignity as stipulated in Article 26 of the Basic System of Governance, which stipulates “protecting human rights in accordance with Islamic Shariah.”

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JEDDAH: Following the kings pardon for a Saudi woman journalist for her role in a controversial television program about a mans sexual exploits, the lawyer representing the chief defendant in the case has demanded the Ministry of Culture and Information review its stance on all media-related cases.

On Monday, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah waived the sentence of 60 lashes handed down to Rozanna Al-Yami for her role in the LBC show, Bold Red Lines, in which Mazen Abdul Jawad bragged about his sexual adventures.

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RIYADH – Saudi Arabias efforts and contribution for the protection of human rights have been highly appreciated by the concerned international bodies and institutions. These efforts were duly rewarded when the Kingdom won membership to the UN First Human Rights Council in 2006.

The government of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has demonstrated significant concern for human rights and has laid the foundation for the protection of these rights in the local and international communities, taking into account the privacy and respect of the teachings of religion. The efforts of the Kingdom spring from its commitment to the application of the tolerant Islamic Shariah, which calls for all to preserve human life and dignity. To that end, several measures have been taken, including the provisions of Article 26 of the Basic System of Governance which emphasizes the Kingdoms commitment to the protection of human rights.

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JEDDAH: Freedom of press is a relative concept and the opportunities for journalists in the Kingdom to criticize is laudable when compared to newspapers in other countries, said the editors of several major Saudi Arabic-language newspapers.

The editors also added that perceived red lines in the print industry are set by individual newspapers, and that accurate and credible stories are not curbed.

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RIYADH: The Saudi Journalists Association (SJA) is to write a letter to the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Communication and Information Technology Commission calling for a new set of rules regulating the issuing of website and online newspaper licenses.

The SJA will also demand that site owners be questioned should they publish content that creates social harm and negative images. In a periodic council meeting, the SJA discussed the story of 13 women Saudi journalists who have lodged complaints against a Saudi online newspaper.

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RIYADH: Thirteen Saudi women journalists have filed complaints accusing a local online newspaper of defaming and distorting the image of the Saudi media.

The defamation complaints against the e-newspaper, Kul Al-Watan (All of the Homeland), were filed with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the Saudi Journalists Association (SJA), said Suad Al-Salim, the Saudi journalist who heads the group that filed the complaints.

Al-Salim said the online newspaper published a report entitled Saudi Women in Red Nights in which it alleged that prostitution, alcohol and drugs have become widespread in Saudi society, and that women journalists rely on illicit relationships with newspaper bosses to get support and fame.

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