The objective of this study was to examine the role of official government social media accounts as a reliable source of information during the COVID-19 epidemic. This thesis was developed and refined to understand the significance of social media in enabling government communication in Saudi Arabia during the pandemic crisis. The investigation examined the nature of the material shared on these accounts, as well as the methods employed to communicate the content to the users. Government officials utilized social media platforms to efficiently communicate information about the different levels of risk by closely monitoring the situation. The study evaluated the measures implemented across different fields to manage the pandemic and develop solutions to sustain daily activities. These measures were strategically devised by the Saudi government to reduce the adverse effects of the pandemic. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia got involved to improve the crisis situation and make it more favorable for the population. A web-based survey was carried out in order to address the research inquiries, with a total of 350 participants from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study uncovered that the COVID-19 epidemic caused changes in the strategies and objectives of government communication with the public, aiming to actively involve them in the process and facilitate their interaction with the information and the communicator.

Authors:
Maha Shaher, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Ahmed Farouk Radwan, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

About the Presenter(s)
Maha Shaher, Presenter & Producer at Asharq Business News with Bloomberg, PhD researcher in mass communication, She was chosen as one of 100 young Arab to represent Saudi Arabia in the UAE Federal Youth Authority's Young Arabs Media Leader Program.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maha-shaher-02a002110/

Additional website of interest
https://linktr.ee/hhmaha3

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