RIYADH: As dialogue surrounding the media’s influence across all sectors continues at the fifth edition of the Saudi Media Forum, some of the Kingdom’s ambassadors took to the stage to discuss diplomacy in an age of greater transparency.
A major topic on the panelists’ minds was “influence diplomacy,” an evolution of traditional diplomacy shaped by modern realities, said Ambassador of Djibouti to the Kingdom and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama.
Influence diplomacy draws on soft power, he said. It uses tools such as arts and culture, sports, education, and humanitarian work to serve political interests and enhance credibility.
According to Bamakhrama, Saudi Arabia harnesses that influence through international forums, cultural initiatives, and a growing global sports presence.
“The Saudi Media Forum itself is a tool of influence diplomacy, projecting the Kingdom’s image and soft power to the world,” he said. “When a child in Africa or Latin America wears the jersey of a Saudi football club, that is influence diplomacy reaching far beyond borders.”
