The second edition of Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the Kingdom’s largest gathering of the creative marketing industry, concluded yesterday with the much-anticipated Athar Awards night. This year’s awards celebrated 51 outstanding achievements in Saudi Arabia’s thriving creative and communications industry. The evening recognised winners across the campaign, teams, and individual categories, marking a fitting end to the two-day festival.
Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, commented on the stellar work highlighted by the Athar Awards, stating: “The Athar Awards are a cornerstone of the festival, honouring the creative brilliance that is driving Saudi Arabia’s marketing industry forward. These awards celebrate the best work to come out of the Kingdom that meets the highest standards while also pushing the boundaries of creativity and setting a new benchmark for excellence.”
Expressing his pride in the emerging Saudi talents honoured at the awards gala, Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, said: “Athar Awards are more than a celebration of exceptional creative work – they honour the incredible talent behind it, who have shown dedication to innovation, storytelling, and excellence. By celebrating these leaders today, our aim is to encourage and inspire the next generation of creative minds in Saudi Arabia, transforming a culture rich in creativity into a culture of creativity.”
This year’s finalists were selected through a rigorous, multi-level evaluation process, conducted by an expert jury panel of over 80 professionals from across sectors such as media, technology, and hospitality, among others. This thorough selection process highlighted both creative output and the people driving the industry forward.
In total, 26 gold trophies were awarded to winners showcasing outstanding creativity and impact. Additionally, 25 highly commended entries received silver trophies for their significant contributions. Youth from the Young Talent Academy were also recognised, celebrating the efforts of Saudi Arabia’s future creative leaders. Additionally, participants of the Maheerah Women’s Empowerment Programme were presented with certificates to acknowledge their successful completion of the accelerator programme.
Reflecting on her experience as a jury member for the Athar Awards, Reema Al Shammasi, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Mastercard, said: ” I am delighted and proud to be a part of the Athar Awards jury panel. Coming here to discover and discuss all these creative campaigns and innovative ideas has been quite an inspirational journey. This experience has been truly enlightening, offering valuable exposure and insight into some of the Kingdom’s most creative campaigns.”
Athar Festival brought together over 1700 global and regional industry leaders, with more than 100 speakers engaged in discourse across two stages. The festival delivered 100 hours of insightful content, including panel discussions, presentations, and masterclasses, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among professionals from across Saudi Arabia’s creative community.
Athar Festival 2024 is presented by Motivate Media Group and TRACCS. For more information and to view the list of winners, visit the official website (https://awards.atharfestival.com/2024-winners/).
