The highly anticipated second edition of Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the Kingdom’s largest gathering of the creative marketing industry, has officially announced the launch of the Athar Awards 2024.
The entry period for the Awards’ 24 opens for both English and Arabic submissions on 30 May and will run until 5 September.
The awards aims to encourage submissions of the region’s most creative campaigns from the public and private agencies, entrepreneurs and freelancers.
The Athar Awards 2024 champion the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by fostering and celebrating creativity as a key driver of economic growth, spotlighting the creative marketing ecosystem, and recognising its outstanding work that promotes education, sustainability, and innovation.
Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, commented on the occasion, saying: “As Saudi Arabia’s foremost and most prestigious creative industry recognition, Athar Awards 2024 is a showstopping opportunity for the Kingdom’s marketers and creatives, and an unprecedented platform to showcase the country’s efforts in using creativity and innovation to become a global powerhouse.”
Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, added, “Creativity lies at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s cultural identity, and the potential of our nation’s youth, who are both creatively and technologically adept, significantly bolsters the growth of the creative economy, which is crucial in achieving the goals of Vision 2030.
“As the first of its kind to recognize and celebrate creative marketing excellence in the country, the Athar Awards 2024 are setting a new benchmark for progress.”
The categories will be judged by an extensive panel of industry experts comprising professionals from in-house teams, agencies, and government bodies.
Member of the Judging Panel of the Athar Awards 2024, Dr. Obaid Alabdali, President of Mazeej Marketing Consulting & Boards Member, said: “Throughout my career as a marketer, educator, writer, and consultant, I have had the privilege of working with some of the best minds and extraordinary talent in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
“The Kingdom’s tremendous transformation journey requires the most creative individuals and organisations to reach their full potential and pave the way for its ambitious and thriving future.
“I view the Athar Awards 2024 not just as a platform for recognition, but as a springboard for the creative marketing industry to highlight its groundbreaking work and its enduring contribution to achieving Vision 2030.”
The esteemed jurors will follow a robust two-stage process, including a pre-scoring step to shortlist the candidates and a panel discussion to determine the winners.
This approach ensures that the awards are ethical, transparent, respected, and credible.
The 2024 edition of the Awards is set to honour campaigns, individuals, and organisations through categories designed to reflect Saudi Arabia’s unique cultural and strategic imperatives across 24 categories.
Hosted at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention from November 5-6, 2024, the Festival will gather experts and decision-makers from across the globe and celebrate the power of creative marketing as an enabler and accelerator of Saudi Arabia’s sustainable and thriving economy.
