The latest issue of Campaign Middle East is out now – the Marketing Game Changers edition.
Inside the issue, each winner reflects on the challenges shaping the industry, the achievements defining their year and the advice they would offer emerging talent. Together, these insights illustrate what marketing leadership looks like today and where it is heading.
The issue also delivers an in-depth wrap-up of Athar – the Saudi Festival of Creativity, held in October. Coverage spans academies, masterclasses, competitions, panels, sessions and a full showcase of this year’s award winners.
A dedicated Sports Marketing theme anchors this edition. The cover story explores how sports marketing has evolved from traditional logo placements into a language of belonging shaped by culture, community and shared identity. Another feature builds on this shift, examining how marketers and professional athletes are forging more fan-first, authentic partnerships.
This naturally leads into a feature on women’s sport, where cultural momentum, engaged fan communities and the rise of influential female athletes are opening one of the region’s most compelling brand-building opportunities.
This momentum in sports naturally leads into this month’s Saudi Focus, where a similar shift is unfolding in gaming – another space where Saudi Arabia is rapidly scaling investment, including through the Esports World Cup. In this section, Almarai’s Nabil Sleiman outlines why gaming now needs to sit firmly on marketers’ roadmaps, from building cultural relevance to enabling immersive storytelling and deeper audience engagement.
The Saudi narrative continues with a shift into tourism. Red Sea Global’s Brett Armitage discusses what it takes to build destination brands that balance cultural authenticity with global ambition – offering insight into the marketing transformation behind The Red Sea and AMAALA.
This balance between local and global perspectives sets the scene for this month’s Industry Forum, which asks a timely question: Are global and regional agencies working with brands in Saudi as effectively as local Saudi agencies? Responses vary widely, revealing divided opinions.
The issue also features a series of digital essays, where industry leaders discuss the need to redefine success metrics and explore how AI tools and human talent can co-exist to build a more effective future.
In Brand Focus, Aster DM Healthcare’s Rahul Kadavakolu examines the future of branding and marketing in the Middle East, highlighting the need for brands to pair creativity with conscience and innovation with authenticity.
Meanwhile, the Qatar Airways team shares its approach to sports sponsorships as a strategic lever – one that strengthens brand equity, drives business results and brings audiences together through the unifying power of sport.
Read the complete Marketing Game Changers Awards issue here or below.
