New advertising regulation to be approved soon, says CEO of GCAM

Abdullatif bin Mohammed Al-Abdullatif, CEO of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM)

A new regulation for advertising will be approved soon, after the adoption of the Mawthooq licensing system, which protects all parties, including the public, celebrities and media professionals, Saudi Press Agency reported, citing Abdullatif Al-Abdullatif, CEO of General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM).

The first goal is to contribute to a promising and credible media industry, providing more jobs and opportunities, and protecting all relevant parties, Al-Abdullatif said at the 2nd edition of the Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh.

The advertising market in Saudi Arabia boomed over the recent period, which reflected positively on the then-renowned TV channels, newspapers and magazines.

People shifted from traditional media to advertising through new media platforms, with a large part of the advertising market moving outside Saudi Arabia on social media. Mawthooq license helped the advertising market became more credible, he added.

He pointed out that the new regulations aim to control the process by ensuring the credibility and reliability of the advertisers, reducing violations and abuses, and removing any misleading information for the consumers.