More than 100 speakers shed light on transformative power of creativity in Saudi Arabia at Athar Festival 2023

As Saudi Festival of Creativity (Athar), the largest of its kind gathering of the creative marketing industry in the Kingdom, will launch soon, Motivate Media Group and TRACCS, organizers of Athar, the inaugural edition of Athar Festival is set to run over four days in November. The event will have speaker lineup of over 100 national and global industry strategists, innovators, and experts, who will discuss the importance of relation between commerce and creativity.

The program details were announced in the presence of key representatives of Saudi Conventions & Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA), the festival’s strategic partner, and MBC Media Solutions (MMS), a co-partner of the festival.

Athar Festival will be held from November 13-16, 2023, at the Hotel Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC. It will bring together around 1,500 delegates from across the globe, including participation from some of Saudi’s top companies such as Saudia, Saudi Tourism Authority, Red Sea Global, stc, Saudi Aramco, HungerStation amongst others.

Athar will feature 12 academies for young professionals, along with CMOs and the Maheerah Women’s Program which is open to 10 high-potential women in the creative marcomms industry. The festival will culminate with the Athar Awards Gala Dinner which will feature the Legacy Awards of the Decade and Special Awards, which will be presented to the agency, network, brand, creative leader, and marketer of the decade among others. The awards will also feature the winners of the 24-hour hack competition part of the young talent academies.

Amjad Shacker, Acting CEO of SCEGA said, “Creativity and innovation are at the core of Saudi Vision 2030, and as part of our ambition and role as a facilitator of global business collaboration and partnerships, it is our responsibility to attract and support new and high potential industries. Identifying new business streams is imperative to the Kingdom’s thriving economic growth, and we believe that unlocking the full potential of the local creative industry is vital for Saudi Arabia to achieve its transformation aspirations."

"As a strategic partner of Athar Festival, the first and largest of its kind in the country, we are realizing our goal of truly attracting high calibre international events,” Shacker noted.

“Athar Festival will be the largest gathering of the creative marketing industry ever staged in the Kingdom. Our main objectives are aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, focusing on enriching the local innovation, advertising, and creative ecosystem. We are thrilled to bring together the best minds and talents from all over the world, creating an environment of collaborative learning and innovation, showcasing the boundless potential of creativity as a force for business, for change, and for good,” said Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner & Group Editor-in-Chief of Motivate Media Group, while emphasizing the festival's significance in promoting creativity across various sectors.

Meanwhile, citing the recent description of Saudi Arabia as the biggest success story of the 21st century by the Kingdom’s Crown Prince, Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS noted, “For centuries, Saudi Arabia has been the global epicenter for trade, shaping its identity with a distinctive blend of culture, commerce, and creativity. Time is rife for us to truly celebrate and recognize the power of creativity as a key accelerator and enabler of the Kingdom’s sustainable, thriving, and future-forward economy. Athar Festival is a unique platform where imagination will flourish, industry aspirations will be renewed, and new collaborations will be forged, creating infinite possibilities for Saudi Arabia and its people. I am positive that Athar Festival will leave a lasting mark on the Saudi landscape.”

Ahmed Al Sahhaf, CEO of MBC Media Solutions (MMS), said “It is our great pleasure to be a part of Athar Festival as it brings together the region's most influential brands and individuals to foster connections and spark creativity. Athar allows us to showcase our creative solutions and connect with creative individuals and make a difference. Being a part of Athar Festival is not only an exciting experience but also a testament to our commitment at MMS to push innovation and growth."

Attendees will have the opportunity to take part in an engaging agenda that features a distinguished lineup of speakers who will deliver thought-provoking insights across six content themes, namely, Technology as a creative driver; Strategies that help grow brands; Inspiration and idea generation; Work culture and talent; Bringing a positive change to society; and Saudi Arabia - a thriving market for the creative community.

These core themes and activities will be discussed on two main stages in parallel over two days. This includes a series of keynotes, panel discussions, informative talks, fireside chats, as well as engaging and interactive workshops.

On the innovation stage, which bears the slogan “The Impact of Strategy”, will focus on the power of transformation brought about by strategies and technologies in the creative marketing field.

Meanwhile, the innovation stage, which bears the slogan “The Art of Creativity,” will detail the elements of inspiration, culture, and talent and how they contribute to pioneering creations.

The festival will host a diverse group of speakers from innovative business leaders from major Saudi companies, including Founder and CEO of +966 and CEO of RiseUp Saudi, Princess Loulwa bint Yazeed Al Saud; Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), Khaled bin Abdulqader Tash; CMO of Saudi Tourism Authority, Asmaa Quorrich; Vice President Corporate Relations at stc Mohammed Abaalkheil; Head of Global Branding and Marketing Communications for Red Sea Global, Tracy Lanza; CMO of Hungerstation, Mohammed Jifri; Director Corporate Marketing at Saudi Aramco, Kirk Collingwood; and others.

Topnotch experts belonging to the most prominent creative agencies in the region and beyond, such as Fernando Machado, Global CMO of NotCo, USA; Khalid Abdulaziz, Head of Strategy, The Fullstop; Dani Richa, Chairman and CEO, Europe, Middle East and Africa at BBDO; Bassel Kakish, CEO ME and Turkey of Publicis Groupe; Elda Choucair, CEO, Omnicom Media Group; Mohamed Sehly, Executive Creative Director, Leo Burnett; Mohammed Bahmishan, CEO and Chief Creative Officer, FP7 McCann KSA; and Rayyan Aoun, Executive Creative Director at Wunderman Thompson among others, will participate in the festival.

In addition, some of the world’s most recognizable companies and brands will also partake in the festival to share their broad insights on trade and creativity worldwide Some of them will include Ali Cheikhali, Creative Strategy Lead at Google; Garrett Olexiuk, Campaign & Creative Manager at Amazon; Hala Zgheib, Head of Retail at Snapchat; Sasha El Jurdi, Head of Content Programming, TikTok; Jacqueline Bourke, Senior Director, Creative, Getty Images; and Aamir Allibhoy, Regional CMO, Tim Hortons MENA, etc.