Recently, the Digital Content Council has announced Ignite, a $1.1 billion programme that’s aimed at transforming Saudi Arabia into a digital entertainment and media production hub.
“Ignite is for every creative person and entrepreneur who has big dreams, big ideas, and would like to share them with the rest of the world,” says Digital Content Council’s Mohammed AlRobayan.
By offering a comprehensive ecosystem, Ignite seeks to attract digital content companies and grow the local media and content creation sector.
In his keynote presentation, Mohammed AlRobayan, Secretary-General, Digital Content Council, said “We will ignite the digital content sector for the future. Ignite is for every creative person and entrepreneur who has big dreams, big ideas, and would like to share them with the rest of the world. Ignite will allow you to have a seat at the table.”
Ignite aims to triple Saudi Arabia’s digital content market size in gaming, audio, video, and advertising. The programme is backed by a $1.1 billion investment and will provide incentives to local, regional, and international companies and start-ups.
The funds, according to AlRobayan, will mainly go to investments and talents. “We have allocated $835 million for three purposes: to supplement the existing film funds, to create a gaming fund, and provide incentives for the private sector.”
Ignite will supplement the film fund which will be allocated for the infrastructure, development, production, and distribution of locally produced movies. Subsequently, the gaming fund will be focused on developing games and building the required infrastructure such as gaming studios.
Ignite will also offer training courses for gaming, films, and digital advertising. It aims to upskill more than 4400 participants in the next three years. Through the training programmes, Saudi Arabia plans to develop skill-sets required by the industry and provide Saudi youth with skills that will open doors for job opportunities in these sectors.
Ignite will also enhance Saudi Arabia’s policies around intellectual property protection measures. International and local partners will be able to benefit from an investor’s ‘one-stop shop’ that will streamline the process for investment into the Saudi digital content economy.
Hence, AlRobayan concluded, “We will execute Ignite and its initiatives through collaborations with the public sector, private sector, and content creators. And this will be executed through the Digital Content Council.”
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