Saudi stories pique audience interest, says Bloomberg Media MD

Saudi stories pique audience interest, says Bloomberg Media MD
Amit Nayak, managing director of Bloomberg Media Middle East & Africa, pictured at the Athar Festival of Creativity in Riyadh. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
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Updated 07 November 2024

Saudi stories pique audience interest, says Bloomberg Media MD

Saudi stories pique audience interest, says Bloomberg Media MD
  • Visiting the Athar Festival of Creativity in Riyadh, Amit Nayak told Arab News: “We’ve seen a real appetite from our global audiences for content from here”

RIYADH: Stories and articles about and the region are among the most widely read by audiences, according to Bloomberg Media’s managing director in the Middle East and Africa.

Visiting the Athar Festival of Creativity in Riyadh, Amit Nayak told Arab News: “We’ve seen a real appetite from our global audiences for content from here.”

He said that with such a large and diverse team based in the Middle East, Bloomberg Media was able to bring local insights and perspectives to provide content based on what audiences wanted.

“We remain focused on deeply understanding our Middle Eastern audience, fostering direct relationships, and delivering trusted news and insights tailored to their needs,” he said.

“We work with leading entities across the region, such as Saudi Tourism Authority and Red Sea Global, using custom content across different platforms to help tell their stories to regional and global audiences.”

The use of smart technology has been big part of Bloomberg’s strategy for over a decade, with The Bulletin being a predominant feature on the app. Launched by Bloomberg’s Media Innovation Lab in 2018, it provides single-sentence summaries of the top three stories.

“We leverage first-party subscriber data through our AI-powered Audience Accelerator platform,” added Nayak. “This allows us to precisely target key demographics to inform machine learning models that predict the population of users on the site, enhancing campaign performance and building brand credibility.”

In 2022, Bloomberg Media Studios opened a regional studio in Dubai and earlier this year launched “Bloomberg Horizons: Middle East & Africa,” a flagship morning program.

Bloomberg News also launched the Mideast Money newsletter, which focuses on “the intersection of wealth and power, and the impact of regional sovereign investors and dealmakers in global finance.”

Evolving as a commercial team that, 10 years ago, predominantly sold advertising, Nayak said that as clients became more sophisticated and keener to reach global audiences, Bloomberg Middle East was fostering internal talent to better collaborate with them.

“We were well placed because we have invested heavily in our teams on the ground here — whether that’s expanding sales, building a client marketing team, or hosting events on the ground in the region,” he said.


Tokyo governor keen to attract investors from

Tokyo governor keen to attract investors from
Updated 20 October 2025

Tokyo governor keen to attract investors from

Tokyo governor keen to attract investors from

TOKYO: Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko, speaking ahead of her trip to the Middle East later this month, emphasized the importance of attracting investment from during her weekly press conference.

“We are currently in the midst of attracting investors to , a country that is enthusiastic about investing, so I think it is extremely valuable to promote Tokyo there,” she said. “I hope to promote Tokyo’s initiatives and appeal, and foster cooperation between cities.”

Koike referred to the Future Cities Initiative in Riyadh, which, she pointed out, has attracted a great deal of attention by bringing together investors and those involved in innovation and financial strategy. 

“To give you an idea, people like Elon Musk have attended this event,” she said. “And it attracts roughly 5,000 people, making it a sort of ‘Davos in the desert.’ At these events, I hope to firmly promote Tokyo’s financial market and engage in investor relations.”

While Koike is keen to boost business opportunities, she will also be promoting so-called soft power, such as anime and manga. She will be appearing on stage with Takahashi Yoichi, the creator of Captain Tsubasa, who is known as Captain Majid in the Middle East. Koike said anime and its content are said to have an economic impact of approximately 8 trillion yen.

Koike will be conducting business matching for Tokyo-based small and medium-sized enterprises and startups in Riyadh and Kuwait, as well as Tokyo’s “excellent technology” to local government officials and business communities. 

 

 

 


Saudi crown prince, French president discuss Gaza developments and regional stability

Saudi crown prince, French president discuss Gaza developments and regional stability
Updated 44 min 56 sec ago

Saudi crown prince, French president discuss Gaza developments and regional stability

Saudi crown prince, French president discuss Gaza developments and regional stability
  • Talks focused on the situation in the Gaza Strip and ongoing efforts to end the conflict and restore stability in the Middle East

RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call on Sunday from French President Emmanuel Macron, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The two leaders reviewed cooperation across various fields and discussed regional and international developments of mutual concern.

Talks focused on the situation in the Gaza Strip and ongoing efforts to end the conflict and restore stability in the Middle East.

Prince Mohammed and Macron stressed the importance of immediately alleviating the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people and achieving a complete Israeli withdrawal.

They also underscored the need to take practical steps toward a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.


welcomes immediate ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, center right, and Afghan Defense Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob shake hands.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, center right, and Afghan Defense Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob shake hands.
Updated 19 October 2025

welcomes immediate ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, center right, and Afghan Defense Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob shake hands.
  • Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to an immediate truce during talks in Doha, both sides said on Sunday, after a week of fierce border clashes

RIYADH: on Sunday welcomed the announcement of an immediate ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to an immediate truce during talks in Doha, both sides said on Sunday, after a week of fierce border clashes, the worst violence between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the “Kingdom affirms its support for all regional and international efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability, and its constant commitment to ensuring security in a way that achieves stability and prosperity for the brotherly Pakistani and Afghan peoples.”

It added that the Kingdom looked forward to an end to tensions on the border between the two countries.

After peace talks in Doha, Qatar’s foreign ministry said early Sunday that “the two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries.”

They also agreed to follow-up meetings in the coming days to ensure the ceasefire, the Qatari foreign ministry added.


highlights green efforts at G20 meeting

Osama Faqeeha, deputy minister for the environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. (SPA)
Osama Faqeeha, deputy minister for the environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. (SPA)
Updated 19 October 2025

highlights green efforts at G20 meeting

Osama Faqeeha, deputy minister for the environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. (SPA)
  • Faqeeha highlighted ’s role in advancing environmental protection nationally, regionally, and internationally

RIYADH: reaffirmed its leadership in supporting international efforts to combat land degradation and drought and to promote environmental sustainability. It also contributes to global initiatives to protect natural resources.

The statement came during ’s participation in the G20 Ministers of Environment and Climate Change meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Saudi delegation was headed by Osama Faqeeha, deputy minister for the environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

The meeting aimed to strengthen international cooperation on environmental challenges and ecosystem protection, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Faqeeha highlighted ’s role in advancing environmental protection nationally, regionally, and internationally.

He pointed to initiatives launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative — and the National Environment Strategy.

He also noted the Kingdom’s progress in expanding afforestation projects, combating desertification, rehabilitating degraded lands, and increasing protected areas by more than 400 percent.

Faqeeha underscored ’s role in the G20, including launching the Global Initiative to Reduce Land Degradation and the Global Coral Reef Initiative during its 2020 G20 presidency.

He said the Kingdom has influenced global environmental dialogue, particularly by hosting the 16th UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference in Riyadh in 2024.

The conference, the largest in the convention’s history, led to the Riyadh Declaration and more than 35 resolutions on sustainable land management, community empowerment, and research innovation.

About 40 initiatives were introduced as part of the Riyadh Agenda, including the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, aimed at strengthening global cooperation against drought.

 


More than 14,000 trees, seedlings planted in Qassim

More than 14,000 trees, seedlings planted in Qassim
Updated 19 October 2025

More than 14,000 trees, seedlings planted in Qassim

More than 14,000 trees, seedlings planted in Qassim
  • Supporting nursery development and expansion, the ministry has planted 6,000 seedlings in its nurseries and distributed 3,780 to citizens and participating entities

RIYADH: The 16th phase of the Green Qassim Land initiative, launched by Qassim Gov. Prince Faisal bin Mishaal, is underway as part of the broader Saudi Green Initiative to enhance vegetation and promote environmental sustainability.

The Qassim branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has planted about 4,760 trees in Buraidah and other localities, along with holding an educational workshop on the safe disposal of agricultural waste.

The initiative has been taken to 19 schools as part of an environmental awareness program, planting 340 trees on school grounds, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Supporting nursery development and expansion, the ministry has planted 6,000 seedlings in its nurseries and distributed 3,780 to citizens and participating entities.

The Qassim Municipality works to enhance vegetation, increase awareness, initiate volunteer programs, promote a tree-planting culture, and run campaigns to prevent pollution and harmful practices.

These efforts aim to improve the quality of life, achieve environmental sustainability, and expand green spaces, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.