Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the largest gathering of the creative marketing industry in the Kingdom, concluded its inaugural edition with the Athar Awards ceremony that saw the likes of Dr Obeid Al Abdali, President of Mazeej Marketing Consulting and Kaswara Al Khatib, Chairman of UTURN, take home the Saudi Athar Marketer Award and Saudi Athar Empowerment Award, respectively.The festival, which brought together more than 1,400 attendees from across the region and beyond to Riyadh, celebrated the distinguished work of some of the finest talent at the first Athar Legacy Awards of the Decade and the Athar Special Awards on 16 November 2023. In addition, the event also recognised winners of the Young Talent Academy Programme’s 24-hour hack competition as well as the participants of the Maheerah Programme.Attended by the who’s who of the industry from across the region, the award ceremony saw top honours being given away by the awards were given away in grand fashion by Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner & Group Editor-in-Chief of Motivate Media Group, and Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, alongside other senior leaders from reputable Saudi organisations.Commenting on the success of the festival, Fairservice stated: “Over the last few days, Athar Festival has proven that the potential for creativity in Saudi Arabia is simply boundless. Though it may have come to an end here at the Athar Awards, the conversations have only just begun, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”Similarly, sharing his thoughts on the inaugural edition of the Athar Awards, Al Ayed said: “Creativity has always been the differentiating factor of success. That success is what the first-ever Athar Awards intends to recognise and celebrate as we draw the curtain on what has been a truly amazing and inspiring festival. We are confident that the impact created here will spread to empower even greater levels of creative innovation in the Kingdom.”Athar Legacy Awards of the Decade:The Athar Legacy Awards of the Decade, recognised agencies and brands verified by the Dubai Lynx and Cannes Lions international festivals of creativity based on the highest number of cumulative points gained over the last decade. The four categories and the proud winners were:Saudi Athar Media Network of the Decade: StarcomSaudi Athar Brand of the Decade: stcSaudi Athar Agency of the Decade: Wunderman Thompson, RiyadhSaudi Athar Network of the Decade: Wunderman ThompsonAthar Special Awards:The Athar Special Awards went out to the most outstanding individuals, market leaders, and organisations who have positively contributed to the local creative industry’s growth and development. These awards were given across two individual categories and four group categories:Individual CategoriesSaudi Athar Marketer Award: Dr Obeid Al Abdali, President of Mazeej Marketing ConsultingSaudi Athar Empowerment Award: Kaswara Al Khatib, Chairman of UTURNGroup CategoriesSaudi Athar Disruptors Award: The Bold GroupSaudi Athar Excellence Award: The FullstopSaudi Athar Game Changer Award: AramcoSaudi Athar Creative Recognition Award: Impact BBDOYoung Talent Academies Awards:A fitting culmination of the Young Talent Academy Programme that took place over the course of the Athar Festival, the Young Talent Academy Awards at the ceremony acknowledged the outstanding performance of participants who excelled in six academies related to public relations, social communications, branding and design, innovation, copywriting, and planning.Held from 13-15 November, these youth took part in a 24-hour hack competition that saw the leaders of tomorrow put their skills to the test, with each academy producing a number of winners:Social Communications Academy Hack Competition WinnersLama Baaj, XELEMENTHessa Alnoufal, BassmatShahad Alhammad, HungerStationBranding and Design Academy Hack Competition WinnersNancy ElAzzi, Wunderman ThompsonMazunah Alfagham, King Saud UniversityAhmed Al-Hassan, XELEMENTInnovation Academy Hack Competition WinnersRaghad Othman, HungerStationSara Alruwalily, King Saud UniversityShaden Alotaibi, King Saud UniversityCopywriting Academy Hack Competition WinnersNouf Mishall Mohabat, SABICRuba Alshamrani, HungerStationYara Al Hanaya, Lhamin MarketingPlanning Academy Hack Competition WinnersNoora Alissa, HungerStationAmmar Sadiq, MindshareAbdullah Dahan, Onsor MoshaSaleh Alhedaithy, BassmatAyman Aldahan, MindsharePublic Relations Academy Hack Competition WinnersRaneem Alotaibi, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversityAljohara Alsuliman, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversityRaghad Asiri, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversitySahar Alharbi, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversityRaya Almoshawah, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic UniversityThe Athar Awards ceremony successfully culminated the inaugural edition of the Athar Festival that brought the local and international creative community together to uncover and amplify the creative potential of Saudi Arabia. The realisation of this potential and its business impact on the industry and beyond will likely be explored in next year’s edition of the festival.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the largest gathering of the creative marketing industry in the Kingdom set to take place from 13–16 November 2023 at the Hotel Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC, will feature a special Athar Awards gala dinner to conclude the four-day festival.The inaugural edition will take place on November 16 and feature the Athar Legacy Awards of the Decade and Athar Special Awards, in addition to recognising the winners of the 24-hour hack competition, part of the Young Talent Academies.The gala dinner is set to be attended by creative directors, chief creative officers, CMOs, CEOs and other senior decision makers from all sectors of the creative communications landscape including creative, media and communications agencies, event agencies, advertisers, media houses, brands, platforms, government agencies, publishers, tech platforms, young talent, and start-ups.The Legacy Awards will be presented to agencies and brands verified by the Dubai Lynx and Cannes Lions international festivals of creativity based on points gained over the last decade by Saudi-based campaigns or agencies. Categories include Media Network of the Decade, Brand of the Decade, Agency of the Decade and Network of the Decade.The Special Awards will recognise outstanding individuals, market leaders and other stellar organisations who have positively contributed to the advancement of the local creative industry. It includes the Empowerment and Marketer categories for individuals and three other categories, Disruptors, Excellence and Gamechangers, celebrating organisations for their achievement.The award ceremony will also acknowledge outstanding participants from this year’s Athar Young Talent Academies; a set of six academies designed for young professionals and students to explore creative marketing topics from public relations, copywriting, innovation, branding & design, planning, and social communications.Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner & Group Editor-in-Chief of Motivate Media Group, stated: “With Saudi Arabia’s reception of the first-ever Grand Prix Award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this year, the local creative industry is in an era of continual progression. Through the Legacy Awards which are verified by both Dubai Lynx and Cannes Lions, we are able to commemorate agencies and brands that have consistently set high standards and embodied excellence through their work. As we approach the start of this year’s festival, we are very excited to close the event on a very festive note, giving peers a chance to celebrate one another’s achievements.”“Saudi creativity is in a remarkable period of growth, proven by the innovative ideas that have been brought to life across various industries,” commented Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS. “Athar Festival’s Special Awards and each of the award categories has been tailored to recognize the brilliance and versatility shown by both individuals and organisations in the Kingdom’s creative landscape. As the Kingdom advances forward guided by the framework of Vision 2030, we are proud to reward exceptionalism and congratulate the Kingdom’s diverse creative communities.”Organised by Motivate Media Group and TRACCS, the festival promises to be an inspiring occasion celebrating marketing excellence and affirming the value of creativity in the world of business. The four-day festival programme will include a two-day festival and two days of training for young talent, underlining the enduring role of creativity as an enabler of growth and development.With an extensive line-up of 100+ international and celebrity speakers, Athar Festival’s landmark edition is expected to welcome 1,500 industry professionals and young talent to attend the festival and its academies, celebrating innovation and exceptionalism within Saudi Arabia’s creative ecosystem.

'Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity', the largest gathering of the creative marketing industry in the Kingdom, has announced that the Saudi Conventions & Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA) has joined the festival as a strategic partner. This endorsement is an affirmation of the Authority’s ambition and role as a facilitator of global business collaboration and partnerships, and ability to unlock new business streams.In the lead-up to the inaugural edition, which runs from November 13–16, 2023, at the Hotel Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC, SCEGA will provide the necessary technical support for the success and the effective delivery of the message of this creative gathering to the largest segment of the audience.Amjad Shacker, Acting CEO of SCEGA, said: “We are responsible for introducing industry benchmarking M.I.C.E. standards and systems in Saudi Arabia and creating an ecosystem that attracts international events while also identifying and supporting new and high potential industries. Creativity and innovation are at the core of the Kingdom’s transformation blueprint, and unlocking the full potential of the local creative industry to achieve the vision is critical. Our strategic partnership with Athar Festival is a prime example of public-private sector collaboration under Vision 2030, and we hope to contribute to the success of this pioneering platform in its first year and in the years to come.”“Today, Athar Festival welcomes SCEGA, a leading enabler of the Kingdom’s exhibitions and conferences industry, into its ranks. This partnership aligns with one of Athar Festival's key objectives: fostering greater recognition for Saudi creativity and emphasizing its significance as a major economic driver and an enabler of Saudi Vision 2030”, said Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner & Group Editor-in-Chief of Motivate Media Group.Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, said: “This alliance with SCEGA will greatly contribute to our mission of establishing Athar Festival as a true platform for Saudi Arabia’s future-forward economy. With their support, we look forward to showcasing the power of creativity as an enabler and accelerator of the Kingdom’s sustainable and thriving economic development in an environment that inspires cultural exchange, collaborative innovation, tangible learning, and training and development.”Athar Festival will be able to accommodate around 1,500 delegates and feature 12 academies for young professionals, along with CMOs and executive women. The festival will host 100+ national, international and celebrity speakers who will deliver thought provoking insights across six content themes. The festival has also just opened its doors to early-bird delegate and awards gala dinner registration.