Workshop 1 / GRM 2025
Digital and Social Media Influencers Impact on Developing Country Image in Light of GCC National Visions

Abstract

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have the highest rate of internet and social media use per capita in the world. According to the latest UNESCO Crossings Institute report (2023), the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain are among the leading countries for social media usage. In this digital age, digital media and social media influencers have grown to be some of the most important opinion leaders with their high reach, perceived authenticity and credibility among their followers. Not only do many organizations achieve success through digital platforms, but influencers are making an increasingly profound impact on other subject matters which oftentimes turn into social advocacy and activism. Their influence is particularly high on the younger generation, who rely on social media for information and who make up the majority of the population in Gulf countries. Thus, GCC nations have, in their endeavour to achieve national transformation through their various National Agendas, utilized these tools to transform the global perception of their countries. This workshop will delve into how digital media and social media influencers have contributed to re-shaping the national image of the GCC countries.




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Workshop

Directors


Louisa

Ha

Professor of Research Excellence in the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA, and Founding-Editor-in-Chief of the Online Media and Global Communication journal



Mohammad

Abuljadail

Associate Professor of Marketing Communication and the Vice Dean for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at the Faculty of Communication and Media at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia


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