Essam Bukhary: An Icon of Japanese Media and Culture

Dr. Essam Bukhary has distinguished himself among CEOs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia thanks to his extensive knowledge of Japanese culture.

The CEO of Manga Productions, a company affiliated with the Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Charitable Misk Foundation, has a wealth of media and cultural knowledge, especially concerning Japan.

A Visionary Leader in Science and Technology

Since 2020, Dr. Essam Amanullah Bukhary has been the co-chairman of the King Salman Centre for Future Science and Technology’s Executive Committee in Japan.

Similarly, he has various other educational positions, including assistant professor at King Abdulaziz University’s Faculty of Economics, Department of Business Administration, and visiting professor at the University of Tokyo from 2015 to 2016.

Dr. Bukhary’s research and academic endeavours include his work as the deputy director and later director of the Department of Culture and Media at the Arab Institute in Tokyo from 2002 to 2008. He translated official meetings between Kingdom officials and their Japanese counterparts from 2006 to 2008. 2015.

In addition, Bukhary served as an advisor at the Prince Naif Institute for Studies and Research from 2010 until 2015. Focusing on the Department of Technology and Innovation Management at the College of Engineering, Dr. Bukhary also worked as a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo from 2008 to 2011.

Dr. Essam Bukhary’s diplomatic work supporting his academic pursuits is also an important aspect of his efforts to gain a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, since he was a Cultural Attaché in Japan from 2008 to 2015.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bukhary has made several research contributions, and his publications and scientific studies have been published in Arabic, English, and Japanese peer-reviewed journals.

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Professional Achievements and Milestones

Academically, a brilliant scientist with a remarkable career, Dr. Essam Bukhary earned a PhD in Technology and Innovation Management in 2008 and a master’s degree in Industrial and Administrative Systems Engineering from Waseda University in 2005.

Moreover, he had previously earned a bachelor’s degree in the same field from Waseda University in 2002. Winning the “Ibuka” prize for international students is one of Bukhary’s accomplishments at the university. Separately, since 2017, Dr. Bukhary has served as the CEO of Manga Company.

In 2020, he was appointed editor-in-chief of Manga Arabic magazine and published a regular column called Astrolabe for Al-Riyadh daily.

Dr. Bukhary has been a member of the Board of Directors of Harakat Company since 2019, specialising in creating interactive content, overseeing educational initiatives, and creating campaigns to support the Kingdom’s Vision 2030-related activities.

Besides, Dr. Bukhary served on the General Authority for Culture’s Board of Directors from 2018 to 2021. The Authority seeks to foster talent, promote innovation, and protect Saudi history.

Dr. Essam Bukhary’s tenure as Senior Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of the Japanese corporation “SNK” from 2020 to 2022 is one of the significant turning points in his professional career.

Likewise, from 2016 to 2017, Bukhary served as Director of Arinat firm, a Saudi animation and video game production firm.

In conclusion, Manga Production Company specialises in creating artistic content for domestic and foreign audiences, including animation, age-appropriate video games, and international-standard comics.

It aims to introduce global content creation technologies to Saudi Arabia and support talented individuals by fostering prosperous business incubators that meet international standards while maintaining Saudi identity.

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