Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the Kingdom’s largest gathering of the creative marketing industry returns to Riyadh this week, from 21-22 October at JAX District’s Diriyah Biennale Foundation, for its third edition. This celebration of all things creative and cutting-edge promises to be the biggest and boldest to date.
This year’s festival ups the ante with more than 200 local, regional, and international speakers, including more than 60 from Saudi Arabia, alongside more than 80 exhibitors and sponsors.
Together, they will help deliver over 100 hours of content across nine distinct formats, from panels and keynotes to interactive sessions, masterclasses, and curated networking meetups.
View the full festival agenda for here
New experiential zones include the International Lounge, Talent Hub, Networking Hub, Courtyard Stage, Community Stage, and Saudi Gamer Arena. These bring the festival to life beyond its main sessions, offering more opportunities for learning, discovery, and connection.
The Strategic Stage will bring together global experts, government officials, and C-suite executives to explore visionary leadership, brand growth, and the future of strategic decision-making, featuring fireside chats with HRH Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al Saud, CEO of Rotana Media Group & Secretary General and Member of the Board of Trustees of Alwaleed Philanthropies; and Jo Malone CBE, Founder and Creative Director of Jo Loves, and keynote addresses from Mo Gawdat, bestselling author and former Chief Business Officer at Google X; and Ali Ali, Co-founder and Film Director at Good People Films.
The Spotlight Stage will showcase both established figures and emerging voices shaping the Kingdom’s creative economy, including a fireside chat with Ahmed AlSahhaf, CEO of MBC Media Solutions (MMS) and President of the IAA KSA Chapter, and other interactive and thought-provoking sessions providing practical use cases and perspectives by leading creatives and marketers from Amazon Ads, Beyond Group, Ceer Motors, Dentsu, Diriyah Company, HUMAIN, HungerStation, and Royal Commission for AlUla, among others.
The Community Stage brings ideas to life through interactive workshops, live demos, and masterclasses led by creative strategists and marketers from across the industry, offering valuable insights, fresh perspectives and inspiration for the creative community.
Meanwhile, the Courtyard Stage, featuring a wide selection of food trucks, will offer attendees a vibrant mix of music, wellness, comedy, and creative expression, including a techno set from rising artist NHA, stand-up comedy by Khalid Maina, and a session on unlocking creativity through the socio-drama method led by Ameera Alnejaim.
Alongside this, the Saudi Gamer Arena will debut as a first-of-its-kind hub connecting Saudi Arabia’s gaming ecosystem with brands. Promising engaging discussions with Adel AlMeqren, Executive Director of Marketing & Branding at the Saudi Esports Federation; Catalina Lou, SVP Global Gaming at Webedia; AbdulKareem Niazi, Director Marketing Strategy, Campaigns & PR at the Esports World Cup Foundation; and Nabil Sleiman, Head of Marketing Communications at Almarai Company, among many professional gamers and influencers, this new addition to the festival will showcase new research, technologies, and activations at the intersection of gaming and marketing.
Additionally, Workshop Room 3 will also serve as a space for masterclasses and discourse, featuring thought leaders such as Patrick Rizk, Head of Saudi Arabia at Meta; Jason Foo, Chief Executive Officer at BBD Perfect Storm; Tom Tootal, Chief Executive Officer at bandstand; and Larissa Von Alberti, Vice Dean of Programmes and Professor of Accounting at Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College.
Beyond its stages and sessions, Athar Festival 2025 also creates space for meaningful connections through its dedicated Networking Hub. With curated meetups on data strategy, platform ecosystems, location-driven insights, and emerging media, the hub offers a forum for candid discussion and knowledge exchange, ensuring the festival is as much about building relationships as it is about inspiring ideas.
Find out more about Athar Awards 2025 here
The two-day event concludes with the Athar Awards, an evening dedicated to Saudi excellence and impact.
This year features a record 274 shortlisted finalists across more than 35 categories that honour the Kingdom’s most game-changing campaigns, individuals, brands, and agencies.
Athar Festival 2025 is presented by Motivate Media Group and TRACCS. For the full two-day agenda, visit the official website: https://atharfestival.com/.
