Title: CEO, BigTime Creative Shop
Years in the role: 2 years
Years in the industry: 14 years
Years in the middle east region: Born and raised
Other roles / board memberships: Jury at Cannes Lions, CICLOPE, ADC, The One Show,
The Loeries, New York Festival.
Power Essay: Mastering pop culture – breaking through target audiences
Every creative revolution begins with vision. In the Middle East, and most notably in Saudi Arabia, that vision has been laid out clearly: to transform the region into a cultural and entertainment powerhouse with global influence. Thanks to His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a generation has been empowered to think boldly and act globally. And, under the leadership of H.E. Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, who has hosted some of the world’s most highly anticipated events and transformed Riyadh Season into the global pinnacle of entertainment, Saudi Arabia is shaping global culture and positioning itself as the next pop capital. Entertainment here is no longer just an industry. It is becoming one of the strongest symbols of national identity and global presence.
Pop culture has always been the most powerful bridge between creativity and audiences. In the past two years, we’ve seen how Saudi Arabia has not only started to participate in global pop culture but shape it. The lesson for our industry is clear: mastering pop culture is no longer optional. It’s the most effective way to break through to audiences who are increasingly fluent in memes, references and cultural codes.
Take the Jacob & Co. watch collaboration. It wasn’t just a luxury timepiece. It was a cultural artifact, merging sport, design and storytelling. Or the Six Kings Slam tennis film that made the world talk, proving that sports and culture are intertwined in ways that transcend borders. Boxing promos that went on to win Emmys, voted for by 18,000 academy members, showed how tapping into authentic cultural energy can resonate beyond boxing fans to London cab drivers, influencers and mainstream audiences alike. And when Touchin’ Hands with Guy Ritchie blurred the lines between cinema and advertising, it proved that audiences now expect campaigns to look and feel like a reflection of culture itself.
Perhaps the most telling signal of pop culture mastery comes from where many brands rarely look: the comments section. When audiences spot every joke, reference, or cultural nod, and then respond with appreciation, that’s when you know the work isn’t just being seen, or reduced to an intro strategy slide that ticks the usual boxes. It’s being understood, lived and shared by the audience. That conversation is the true test
of relevance.
Riyadh Season itself has become more than a series of events. It has turned into a global brand, a household name that stands for entertainment with a scale and ambition the world had not expected from the region. This transformation shows what happens when entertainment, creativity and culture converge with purpose. It also explains why, when our agency was named Independent Entertainment Agency of the Year, it carried a resonance beyond trophies. Entertainment has become synonymous with Saudi’s rise as a cultural capital and being recognised in that category means aligning with the pulse of a nation, rewriting its global identity through creativity.
And this vision is shared by clients across diverse sectors, from LIV Golf redefining global sport, to Spotify reshaping how the region listens to music, to Puma fuelling youth identity, to the Saudi Sports for All Federation embedding active culture in everyday life. None of them is choosing the safe option anymore. Everyone wants to experiment and develop an original voice that fits this cultural movement. Together, these brands illustrate that pop culture is not confined to entertainment alone. It is a cross-sector force shaping how Saudi Arabia expresses itself to the world.
Experimentation is equally vital to cultural leadership. By creating the world’s first AI judge in boxing, Saudi redefined how technology, sport and creativity intersect. The same ambition is seen in The Ring magazine covers, designed in Riyadh. It’s proof that the region’s voice is no longer local, but global in its reach and influence.
For the creative industry, the opportunity is not only to ride this wave but to help define it. The challenge is whether we can build work that doesn’t just advertise but becomes part of the cultural memory.
Because in the end, culture is the ultimate campaign. And mastering it is the only way to
truly connect.
Highlight of the last year
First agency from the region to receive an Emmy. BigTime Creative Shop recognised as the fastest-growing agency in MENA at The Effies 2024; Independent Entertainment Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2025; Independent Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx 2025; Regional Independent Agency of the Year at LIA, Adfest, The One Club and CLIO; Independent Agency of the Year at Campaign AOY; ranked globally in top 12 and No. 1 in APAC and MENA among most awarded independent agencies by The Drum World Creative Rankings 2024.
Rapid fire
What the industry needs to talk more about:
Innovation.
What the industry needs to talk less about:
Artificial intelligence.
If you could change one thing in the blink of an eye, you would…
The new TWIX ice cream and bring back the biscuit in the middle of
it again.
What’s one thing about you that would surprise your team?
I love gaming.
What mobile application can you not live without?
WhatsApp > Outlook.
What word/phrase do people remember you for using the most?
“Going back to the insight.”
What’s one local/regional tradition that you love the most?
Saudi coffee.
If you could choose any two people, currently alive, in the world to share a meal with you, who would it be?
Frank Gehry and Rick Rubin.
What’s your top word of advice for Gen Z and Gen Alpha?
Focus on the idea first, then AI, because AI can’t come up with
an idea.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
Smashed burgers. Can do everyday.
What’s your favourite ad from the past 12 months?
‘Usyk2Fury – Reignited’.
