Rabat Hosts a Colloquium on the Integration of Media and Creative and Cultural Industries to Strengthen Soft Power in Morocco

The city of Rabat hosted, on Saturday, May 23, a colloquium entitled “Media and Creative and Cultural Industries: Roles and Possible Complementarity”, as part of the celebration of Rabat as the Arab Media Capital 2026, at the initiative of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication – Department of Communication. This event took place in a context marked by the growing role of media and creative and cultural industries in strengthening cultural, digital, and media sovereignty, as well as consolidating soft power as an emerging driver of development and civilizational influence.

The colloquium provided an opportunity to open a professional and intellectual debate on the mechanisms of complementarity between media and cultural and creative industries, at a time when Morocco’s video game sector is experiencing accelerated growth. Considered an emerging field that combines digital innovation, cultural production, and creativity, this sector is attracting increasing interest regarding prospects for cooperation that could strengthen the presence of emerging industries and expand their contribution to the national creative economy.

The proceedings of this gathering also aimed to highlight the close relationship between media and cultural and creative industries by providing a platform for dialogue and exchange among journalists, experts, and professionals, while exploring ways to strengthen cooperation between media and emerging sectors in order to support the transformations taking place in the cultural and media landscape at both national and international levels.

The colloquium addressed several major themes related to the complementarity between media and creative and cultural industries, as well as their role in preserving cultural identity and enhancing civilizational influence. Discussions also focused on the challenges posed by digitalization and artificial intelligence in reshaping the creative and media landscape, in addition to examining the role of media as a strategic partner in building an integrated creative ecosystem through the promotion of emerging talents in cultural industries.

Participants also discussed the challenges related to building Morocco’s digital reputation as a promising hub for the video game industry, as well as the possibility of transitioning from general news reporting to specialized media capable of supporting innovative businesses and startups operating in the cultural and creative sectors, thereby strengthening the Kingdom’s presence in digital and cultural industries.

The program of the event also included an opening address devoted to the context of celebrating Rabat as the Arab Media Capital 2026, followed by presentations and an open discussion on key issues related to media and creative and cultural industries, with the aim of strengthening complementarity between these fields and supporting the transformations taking place in Morocco’s cultural and digital sectors.