Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity will return for its fourth edition on 24–25 November at Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC, bringing together local, regional and international leaders from the creative marketing industry to discuss the trends, technologies and strategies shaping Saudi Arabia’s evolving creative economy.
Organised by Motivate Media Group in partnership with TRACCS, the two-day event will feature an expanded conference programme built around four thematic content streams. Alongside the returning Future Forward and Screen & Influence tracks, this year’s edition introduces Strategic Creativity and Decoding Saudi, reflecting the industry’s growing focus on technology, cultural intelligence and business strategy in driving brand growth across the Kingdom.
Four Content Streams to Shape Industry Conversations
The festival will once again conclude with the Athar Awards, which have been refreshed to better reflect the changing creative landscape in Saudi Arabia. Independent agencies and brands will, for the first time, have dedicated entry pathways across nine campaign categories. A new points-based crediting system will also recognise the contribution of agencies, brands and production partners behind award-winning work, culminating in honours such as Creative Team of the Year, Production House of the Year, and Brand of the Year.
Maheerah Programme Returns to Support Women Leaders
Beyond the main conference, the Maheerah Programme will return from 23–25 November, offering specialised learning sessions and networking opportunities aimed at supporting women in the creative communications industry as they progress into leadership roles.
Athar Awards Introduce New Recognition Framework
Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, said the latest edition has been designed to deliver greater value to an increasingly engaged creative community through a more focused programme, a stronger speaker line-up and an expanded awards structure.
Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, said the festival continues to play an important role in creating opportunities for professionals across Saudi Arabia’s creative sector to learn, collaborate and contribute to the industry’s long-term growth.
Building on Momentum from the Third Edition
The fourth edition builds on the momentum of last year’s event, which attracted more than 3,000 industry professionals and 250 regional and international speakers, delivering over 100 hours of content. As Saudi Arabia continues to expand its creative economy under Vision 2030, Athar aims to serve as a platform that connects brands, agencies, policymakers and creators while encouraging innovation and collaboration across the marketing ecosystem.
