Athar Awards has announced updates for its 2026 edition. A key enhancement for 2026 is the introduction of expanded entry pathways for network agencies, independent agencies and brands across nine campaign categories.
The expanded structure has been designed to ensure organisations of different sizes and operating models have a clearer route to benchmark their work against relevant peers.
The move reflects the continued growth and diversification of Saudi Arabia’s creative marketing industry, providing greater opportunities for both established networks, independent agencies and brands to gain recognition for the impact of their work.
In addition to the new entry pathways, Athar Awards 2026 has also introduced a points-based crediting system that will determine three major honours presented at the Awards Ceremony: Creative Team of the Year, Production House of the Year, and Brand of the Year.
Under the new system, points will be accumulated through winning entries, with points awarded to the agencies, brands and production partners credited on those submissions.
The approach is designed to acknowledge the collaborative nature of modern marketing, ensuring all contributing teams are recognised for their role in delivering award-winning work.
Points will be automatically allocated to credited companies and teams behind winning work with 5 points for a Gold, 3 points for Silver and 1 point for a Bronze win at Athar.
As the only awards programme dedicated to celebrating creative marketing excellence in Saudi Arabia, Athar Awards continues to honour the ideas, teams and partnerships helping shape the Kingdom’s creative future in line with the ambitions of Vision 2030.
The Athar Awards are currently open for entries, with the Early Bird deadline on 3 July.
Winners will be announced at the Athar Awards Gala Dinner on 25 November 2026 following the 2-day festival on 24 and 25 November at the Crowne Plaza RDC, Riyadh.
Find out more on awards.atharfestival.com.
