Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications & Information Technology (MCIT), H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, met with John Wren, Chairman & CEO of Omnicom Group, as part of an official visit to the USA. During the meeting at the company’s office in New York City, the two parties discussed areas of potential partnership and explored opportunities to accelerate the growth of the digital content market in Saudi Arabia.

Last February, the Kingdom announced its $1.1 billion Ignite program, comprising 36 initiatives to boost the digital content market, enhance its contribution to the economy, provide quality jobs, and create a comprehensive digital content ecosystem. The ambition is to transform Saudi Arabia into a leader in the digital content sector by 2030.

During the meeting, Omnicom Group offered its participation in the Ignite development program, advising on several of its initiatives, particularly in building a talent pipeline of digital talent.  

“The Digital Content Council has a clear vision for this sector, and the scale and scope of the Ignite Program is commendable. It will play a key role in the digital transformation of the economy,” said John Wren in a statement. “We are pleased to assist in building the infrastructure needed to lead in this space. The expertise within Omnicom will help accelerate economic growth through exciting digital content opportunities.”

“More than a source of entertainment, digital content is a major element of the transformation economy. Not only is our youth hungry for it, but we also have an enormous talent pool of innovators, creators, programmers, and entrepreneurs,” explained Mohammed Alrobayan, Secretary General of the Digital Content Council. “The economic opportunity is real and with Omnicom’s impressive breadth and depth of expertise in content and data, we know Saudi Arabia will be the disruptor, rather than the disrupted, in the digital economy.”