Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the Kingdom’s largest creative marketing gathering, concluded its third edition with the much-anticipated Athar Awards 2025.
Over two days, the festival celebrated Saudi and regional talent while offering insight into the current shape and future of the industry.
Athar Awards 2025
The Athar Awards brought together creative marketing and communications professionals from global networks, local agencies and emerging talent. This year’s awards featured 274 finalists across 35 categories, with 87 trophies presented – up from 51 in 2024 – including 36 Gold, 34 Silver and 17 Bronze.
Winners were chosen through a multi-stage judging process involving more than 80 industry experts from the public and private sectors, many returning participants and past award winners.
During the ceremony, Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, said:
“Athar Festival’s third edition has exceeded our expectations on every level. We thank everyone for being part of our growing community and adding to the diverse appeal of the festival which offered attendees opportunities to find inspiration at the Spotlight Stage, connect with peers at the Community Stage, and engage in lively discussions and cultural experiences across the festival floor. We’ve saved the best for last with our biggest edition of the Athar Awards, a platform dedicated to recognising and celebrating the creativity and innovative ideas exhibited over the past year that continue to put the region’s creative marketing ecosystem on the global map.”
“As we come together for the final time this year, I want to say how privileged I feel to be part of an industry that is leaving a lasting impact while embodying the spirit of collaboration. This year’s edition marked a defining moment for Athar Festival as it evolved into a festival in the truest sense of the word, one that gives Saudi talent the space, the voice, and the representation it deserves. Athar Awards, the culmination of two remarkable days of dialogue, networking, and collaboration, has become a symbol of that progress and a testament to how Saudi creatives are turning into one of the nation’s most valuable assets and Saudi creativity into one of its most valuable exports.”
VML claimed the most metals on the night, securing 22 trophies across campaign, individual and team categories, including seven Gold, ten Silver and five Bronze awards. SRMG Labs also performed strongly, taking home seven trophies, including four Golds and three Silver awards; while Webedia Group picked up six trophies, including five Golds and one Silver trophy.
Community and culture
Day Two of the festival highlighted the people and communities shaping the region’s creative marketing landscape, while also expanding its focus to the creative and performing arts. Among the standout sessions was an intimate conversation with actor and comedian Ahmed Helmy, exploring humour as a universal yet nuanced language in communications. Drawing on decades in the entertainment industry, Helmy shared lessons on precision, testing, refinement and timing – essential for creatives seeking to resonate with diverse audiences.
Earlier, Jo Malone CBE offered insights into the art of endurance in brand building, emphasising motivation, intuition and authenticity as the foundation of lasting brands. Mo Gawdat, meanwhile, challenged audiences to rethink creativity in an AI-driven world, exploring how technology is reshaping loyalty, decision-making and imagination.
Al Ayed said,“The strength of our sector lies in its people, their passion, curiosity, and shared belief in creative work as a driver of progress. Every conversation today, including the brilliant sessions by Ahmed Helmy, Jo Malone and Mo Gawdat, has championed Athar Festival’s mission to build on those very strengths.”
Other sessions across Day Two focused on AI, data-driven innovation, media evolution and brand storytelling, alongside discussions on influencer marketing, DEI and gaming culture – all reflecting a maturing ecosystem where technology and human insight work together to forge meaningful connections and drive growth.
Athar Festival 2025 in numbers
The 2025 edition drew 3,128 attendees and more than 200 speakers across 39 panel discussions, 26 presentations, nine interactive sessions, six keynotes, nine fireside chats and eight masterclasses. Altogether, the festival delivered more than 100 hours of content, complemented by networking meetups and immersive experiences designed to foster learning, discovery and connection.
Fairservice said: “If Athar Festival has proven anything over the past three years, it is that it has successfully captured the attention of one of the world’s most fertile creative communities. Every year brings new voices, new alliances, and new ideas, setting the stage for an even stronger edition in 2026.”
Athar Festival 2025 and Athar Awards are presented by Motivate Media Group and TRACCS.
