Saudi Press Agency

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) is the official national news agency of Saudi Arabia and the country’s principal state-operated platform for gathering, producing, and distributing news. Headquartered in Riyadh, it was established in 1971 during the reign of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz. Its creation responded to the limited number of news outlets then operating in the country and provided the government with a central institution for communicating domestic developments and Saudi positions on international affairs. SPA was the first national news agency established in Saudi Arabia and is described as the first news agency in the Arabian Gulf region. Its core function is to collect and distribute local and international news through written reports, photographs, and other media formats. Its output covers government activity, royal and ministerial events, economic and social development, diplomacy, religion, culture, science, and major national occasions. As a state news agency, SPA also serves an official-information role by publishing authorized statements and reports concerning the Saudi government and public institutions. The agency’s distribution has expanded beyond Arabic. SPA publishes material in Arabic, English, French, Chinese, Russian, and Persian, allowing it to communicate Saudi news and official positions to audiences across the Middle East and internationally. It maintains institutional relationships with regional and multilateral news-agency organizations, including the Federation of Arab News Agencies, the Union of OIC News Agencies, and the Non-Aligned Movement’s news-agency framework. SPA also organized the fourth News Agencies World Congress in Riyadh in 2013, reflecting its role in international news-industry cooperation. A significant administrative change occurred in 2012, when Saudi Television and Radio and SPA were separated from the Ministry of Media during a government restructuring. The change was intended to establish the entities as independent corporations, although the agency remained a state institution and continued to operate within Saudi Arabia’s government-media system. Abdullah bin Fahd Al-Hussein was designated SPA president under the restructuring, while the Minister of Media served as chairman of its board. In the 2020s, SPA broadened its institutional and digital activities. In 2022 it launched a scientific portal intended to increase national coverage of research, innovation, and knowledge production, with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology announced as its first scientific partner. In 2024 the agency announced the SPA Academy for News Training, a professional-development initiative intended to strengthen journalism skills, technology use, and modern news-production capabilities. The academy’s initial cooperation network included Saudi and international education, technology, data, and vocational-training organizations. The academy was formally inaugurated in Riyadh in October 2024. In 2025 SPA also announced the Saudi Photo Platform, a digital service designed to make selected images from its collection available for public access and reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. SPA therefore combines several functions: official news distribution, multilingual international communication, media-sector coordination, archival and visual-content distribution, and professional training. It remains an active public institution and a central source for reporting on the Saudi state, while its multilingual services and partnerships give it a broader regional and international communications role.

The Saudi Press Agency was established in 1971 during the reign of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz. It was created as Saudi Arabia’s first national news agency at a time when the country had relatively few news outlets and needed an official institution capable of collecting and distributing information. SPA also became the first news agency founded in the Arabian Gulf region. From its beginning, SPA was designed to function as a central clearinghouse for Saudi and international news. Its responsibilities included gathering reports from within the Kingdom, distributing official information, and providing coverage of international events relevant to Saudi Arabia. The agency’s role has been closely connected to the country’s public-information system, particularly its reporting on the monarchy, government institutions, national development, diplomacy, religion, and major public events. SPA developed a multilingual publishing operation. In addition to Arabic, it distributes news in English, French, Chinese, Russian, and Persian. This language expansion supports Saudi Arabia’s international communications and provides foreign media and institutions with access to official Saudi reporting. SPA has also participated in international and regional news-agency cooperation. It is a founding member of the Federation of Arab News Agencies, the Union of OIC News Agencies, and the Non-Aligned Movement’s news-agency structure. In 2012, the Saudi government announced an administrative restructuring that separated SPA and Saudi Television and Radio from the Ministry of Media. In late May of that year, the Cabinet established the entities as independent corporations within the restructuring framework. Abdullah bin Fahd Al-Hussein was designated president of SPA, while the Minister of Media was made chairman of the agency’s board. The change altered SPA’s formal administrative relationship with the ministry but did not remove its status as a government-owned national news institution. SPA’s international profile was reinforced when it organized the fourth News Agencies World Congress in Riyadh in 2013. The event placed the agency in a convening role within the global news-agency community and complemented its membership in regional and multilateral news organizations. During the 2020s, SPA expanded beyond conventional news distribution. In September 2022 it launched a scientific portal devoted to research-related reporting and scientific content. SPA presented the portal as a national initiative to diversify its coverage and create a media channel for Saudi research and innovation. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology was identified as the portal’s first scientific partner. In February 2024, SPA announced the SPA Academy for News Training. The academy’s stated objectives were to improve professional journalism capabilities, respond to labor-market needs, and support the transfer of knowledge, technology, and modern production tools. Its initial cooperation agreements involved the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the Prince Mohammad bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, King Abdulaziz University, the National Center for E-Learning, and Microsoft. The academy was inaugurated in Riyadh in October 2024 by Media Minister Salman bin Yousif Al Dossary. In June 2025, the same minister announced the Saudi Photo Platform at the second Hajj Media Forum. The platform was intended to make SPA’s photographic holdings more accessible and permit reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. In August 2025, the academy announced the first phase of its four-stage Media Leaders Track, delivered in Switzerland with EHL Hospitality Business School. Today, SPA remains Saudi Arabia’s official news agency and an active state communications institution. Its work spans daily news production, multilingual distribution, official announcements, international news-agency cooperation, scientific communication, image access, and professional training.

1. 2025Saudi Photo Platform announced

   SPA announced a digital platform intended to provide public access to selected agency photographs under a Creative Commons license.

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2. 2024SPA Academy for News Training announced

   SPA announced a professional academy focused on journalism skills, media technology, and modern news-production methods.

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3. 2024SPA Academy inaugurated

   The SPA Academy for News Training was inaugurated at SPA’s headquarters in Riyadh.

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4. 2022Scientific portal launched

   SPA introduced a portal for scientific research and related news, with KAUST announced as its first scientific partner.

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5. 2013Fourth News Agencies World Congress held in Riyadh

   SPA organized the fourth News Agencies World Congress in Riyadh.

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6. 2012Administrative separation from the Ministry of Media

   A government restructuring separated SPA and Saudi Television and Radio from the Ministry of Media and established them as independent corporations within the state media system.

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7. 1971Saudi Press Agency established

   SPA was founded as Saudi Arabia’s first national news agency and the first news agency in the Arabian Gulf region.

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Saudi Arabia’s official national news agency and a central multilingual distributor of state, national, and international news.

• Multilingual news serviceNews distribution1971

  SPA’s principal service is the production and distribution of official Saudi and international news. Content is published in Arabic, English, French, Chinese, Russian, and Persian, supporting domestic audiences as well as foreign media, institutions, and readers seeking official Saudi reporting.

• Scientific portalDigital news portal2022

  Launched in 2022, the scientific portal focuses on research, innovation, and related news. SPA described it as a national initiative to diversify the agency’s coverage and provide a media channel for Saudi scientific institutions and the country’s knowledge-economy ambitions.

• SPA Academy for News TrainingProfessional education2024

  The academy provides a framework for journalism and media training, with stated objectives including professional-skill development, technology transfer, and preparation for changing news-production requirements. Its cooperation network includes educational, vocational, data, technology, and e-learning institutions.

• Saudi Photo PlatformDigital image platform2025

  Announced in 2025, the Saudi Photo Platform is intended to open selected images from SPA’s collection to public access and reuse. The announced licensing framework is Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0.

• 2025Launch of the Saudi Photo PlatformProduct launch

  SPA sought to expand public access to its photographic archive and make selected visual material more reusable.

  What changed. The agency announced a digital photo platform with reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license.

  Aftermath. The initiative positioned SPA’s photographic collection as a more accessible public-facing digital resource.

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• 2024Creation of the SPA Academy for News TrainingProduct launch

  SPA identified a need to strengthen professional journalism capabilities and adapt news production to new technologies and market requirements.

  What changed. SPA announced its first news-training academy and developed initial cooperation agreements with academic, vocational, data, technology, and e-learning organizations.

  Aftermath. The academy was inaugurated in Riyadh in October 2024 and subsequently developed leadership-training programming.

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• 2022Launch of the scientific portalProduct launch

  SPA sought to broaden its coverage beyond routine political and governmental reporting and support national research and innovation priorities.

  What changed. The agency launched a national portal dedicated to scientific research and related news and identified KAUST as its first scientific partner.

  Aftermath. The initiative added a specialized scientific-content channel to SPA’s news and information portfolio.

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• 2012Separation from the Ministry of MediaStrategy

  The Saudi government undertook a restructuring of its media institutions, including Saudi Television and Radio and the Saudi Press Agency.

  What changed. The Cabinet separated SPA from the Ministry of Media and established it as an independent corporation within the government system. The Minister of Media became chairman of the board, and Abdullah bin Fahd Al-Hussein was designated president.

  Aftermath. SPA continued operating as Saudi Arabia’s state news agency while gaining a distinct formal administrative structure.

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• 2025Saudi Photo Platform announced at Hajj Media Forum

  The Saudi Photo Platform was announced as a digital initiative giving the public access to selected images from SPA’s collection for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license.

  Product launchOther
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• 2025SPA Academy begins Media Leaders Track

  The SPA Academy announced the first phase of its four-stage Media Leaders Track, conducted in Switzerland in collaboration with EHL Hospitality Business School.

  Product launchOther
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• 2024Saudi Press Agency announces SPA Academy for News Training

  SPA announced its first news-training academy, designed to develop journalism skills, support media-market needs, and promote the use of modern technologies and tools in news production. The first phase included cooperation agreements with vocational, academic, data, technology, and e-learning organizations.

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• 2024SPA Academy for News Training inaugurated in Riyadh

  Saudi Media Minister Salman bin Yousif Al Dossary inaugurated the SPA Academy for News Training at the agency’s Riyadh headquarters.

  Product launchOther
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• 2022Saudi Press Agency launches scientific research and news portal

  SPA introduced a national portal focused on scientific research and related news. The initiative was intended to expand coverage of research and innovation and support Saudi Vision 2030’s knowledge-economy objectives.

  Product launch
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1. Saudi Press Agency