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RIYADH: Officials on Wednesday announced the launch of a new scholarship program designed to prepare Saudi students for a first class-career in the media industry.

Speaking at a press conference, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said the Media Scholarship Project, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education, would combine “knowledge with empowerment.”

The initiative, he said, was “aimed at preparing male and female students for the job market by training them and sending them to the world’s best universities and companies specializing in the media field.”

Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan said the growth in the number of Saudi students at top universities was evidence of the Kingdom’s drive to develop its human capital and expand international education opportunities.

The ministers also discussed the country’s decision to return to a two-semester academic year and the introduction of an artificial intelligence curriculum.

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, AI studies will be introduced at all stages of education alongside a cybersecurity course for high school students.

Responding to a question from Arab News, Al-Benyan said the 180-day semester “meets the needs of the educational process” in ����ֱ��.

The decision was made following a “comprehensive study that included input from all parties, starting with the students themselves, parents and teachers, as well as experts from within the ministry and other parties,” he said.

The change comes four years after the introduction of a three-term system that aimed to extend study days, expand the curricula and make fuller use of educational resources.

Al-Benyan said the National Center for Curriculum Development had produced 27 digital courses, reformulated 19 as interactive books and reviewed 50 others to support an advanced digital learning environment.

He also highlighted the center’s role in aligning curricula with national values and identity, and praised the National Institute for Professional Development for its work with teachers.

“There is a program that will detail the number of values, as well as their quality, and link them to the curriculum and classroom activities. And there will be, God willing, a clear plan from the National Center for Curriculum Development,” he said.

Al-Benyan also announced the launch of 75 new construction projects, worth a combined SR920 million ($245.2 million), designed to enhance the nation’s education infrastructure and outlined a number of other economic achievements

“����ֱ��’s program to attract regional headquarters for global companies attracted more than 616 global companies in the first quarter of 2021, up from 120 in the previous quarter, exceeding the 2030 target of 500 companies,” he said.

In the industrial sector, he said the number of factories had risen from “about 7,200 to about 250,500,” while investment had increased from SR955 billion to SR1 trillion and non-oil exports had grown from SR150 billion to SR677 billion.

The ministers were speaking at the latest in a series of quarterly ministerial press conferences designed to shed light on important issues and encourage transparency between officials and journalists, values that align with Vision 2030.

RIYADH: The women-led music initiative, Hunna, has launched its 2025 mentorship program and workshop series.

Now in its third year, the program connects women across the region with mentors, resources and networks to help them grow professionally. It has more than 120 members from ����ֱ��, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and elsewhere.

This year’s program began in July, with six participants paired with professionals from various musical disciplines. They will each receive monthly one-on-one mentorship and tailored development plans as well as access to Hunna’s wider programming.

The culmination of their hard work will be a showcase at this year’s XP Music Futures in December.

Mentorship program manager Nadia Khan, who also founded the nongovernmental organization Women in Ctrl, said: “This year’s mentor-mentee pairings reflect the diversity of talent in the region and the global reach of the women guiding them.

“Having such inspirational and accomplished mentors means our mentees aren’t just receiving guidance, they’re learning directly from women who have carved their own paths in music, broken barriers and proven that it’s possible to thrive while staying true to your vision.”

This year’s pairings are: Tunisia-based Chaima Soudani with Celine Hitti, head of artist services MENA at Believe; singer Nadine Lingawi (Fulana) with Emmy-nominated composer and BBC Radio 3 presenter Hannah Peel; Egyptian multi-instrumentalist and producer Martina Ashraf with Montreal-based experimental electronic artist Liliane Chlela; Saudi composer and pianist Nora Aljebrin with Nadin Al-Khalidi, lead vocalist of Tarabband; DJ and producer Lena Chercaoui  with Saudi DJ and producer Cosmicat; and Palestinian-Jordanian vocalist Lina Sleibi with singer-songwriter and visual creative Lina Makoul.

The pairings were chosen through an anonymized selection process led by Hunna committee members and former participants.

“Hunna is about creating a space of solidarity and community where women can grow in every part of the music industry,” Hitti said.

Al-Khalidi said: “I joined the Hunna mentorship program to share my journey and inspire others to tell their own stories through music.”

Workshops are a core part of the program. The first, “Introduction to Music Production,” will be held on Aug. 20 at Beast House in Riyadh.

Monthly sessions through November will cover production, live performance, artist strategy and global positioning. They will be accessible to all members of the Hunna community.

Tanya Awad, head of music and experience at XP Music Futures and MDLBeast Foundation, which leads the Hunna initiative, said: “Our vision is clear: to see MENA women in every facet of the music industry.”