Get to know Turki al-Shabbanah, Saudi Arabia's new Minister of Media

The royal decrees issued on Thursday in Saudi Arabia included the appointment of Turki Abdullah al-Shabbanah as Minister of Media.

Al-Shabbanah, who has extensive experience in establishing and managing media channels and programs, is considered one of leading Saudi media personalities with an impressive record in the field.

He started with MBC group in the mid-90s, where he held various administrative positions in the audiovisual field, and then moved to work with the Rotana Network.

Born in Riyadh on November 4, 1964, Shabbanah studied business administration in the US and has ample experience in management. Before being appointed as minister, he was the chief executive of the TV department in Rotana group.

Shabbanah was selected this month as one of the Most Influential Personalities on a list of 500 individuals in the media within their countries and around the world.

He also has an important outlook in the visual production sector and a career distinguished by a number of awards granted at various Arab media festivals and events.

The Saudi media, which celebrated the appointment of Turki al-Shabbanah on social media networks, is looking forward to a remarkable shift in the official Saudi media, especially at this time when the world is witnessing great strides made by various media tools and technology.