Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the Kingdom’s largest gathering of the creative marketing industry, returns for its fourth edition from 24-25 November. Convening local, regional, and international leaders, decision-makers, tastemakers, and practitioners at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC, the festival will examine the ideas and real-world challenges shaping the next chapter of the Kingdom’s creative economy. This two-day celebration of creativity will once again culminate in the Athar Awards, a programme dedicated to recognising creative marketing excellence across Saudi Arabia.
Athar Festival 2026 is presented by Motivate Media Group, the region’s leading multi-platform content producer, and TRACCS, the largest independent homegrown communications consultancy headquartered in Saudi Arabia. This year’s content programme will centre around four core streams: ‘Future Forward’ and ‘Screen & Influence’, along with the all-new ‘Strategic Creativity’ and ‘Decoding Saudi’ tracks. Together, they will explore how the convergence of technology, content, and culture is transforming the industry and redefining brand growth in the Saudi market.
Alongside the main conference agenda, Athar Festival will once again feature the Maheerah Programme from 23-25 November. Designed for high-performing women in the industry, it offers curated learning sessions and high-impact networking opportunities to support their progression into leadership roles.
Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, said: “Following our milestone third edition, we asked ourselves how Athar Festival could continue to create value for an increasingly engaged community. This year, that means delivering an edition that is not only far-reaching, but focused, thoughtfully curated, and grounded in the present moment. From a programme built around the industry’s most timely conversations to a high-calibre line-up of speakers and a new awards framework that creates greater opportunities for recognition across today’s creative economy, every aspect of this year’s edition has been shaped with that ambition in mind.”
Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, added: “Over the past three years, Athar Festival has given us the opportunity to listen and learn from Saudi Arabia’s creatives in ways few others can. We have seen first-hand how important it is to create spaces where people from all backgrounds can grow, seize opportunities, and forge their own sense of community. That is why we must continue to come together and champion the intrinsic value of what we do. With open arms and open minds, Athar Festival will once again serve as a platform, connector, catalyst, and celebration of an industry that never ceases to challenge and reinvent itself.”
The Athar Awards return with a refreshed format that better reflects the growth and diversification of the Saudi creative marketing industry. For the first time, independent agencies and brands will have dedicated entry pathways across nine campaign categories, while a new points-based crediting system will recognise the agencies, brands, and production partners behind each winning work. The system will determine three major honours: ‘Creative Team of the Year’, ‘Production House of the Year’, and ‘Brand of the Year’.
Building on the momentum of its third edition, which brought together more than 3,000 industry professionals and 250 regional and international speakers across over 100 hours of content, Athar Festival continues to drive the conversations shaping the future of Saudi Arabia’s creative marketing landscape. By connecting talent, industry leaders, brands, and policymakers, it helps foster collaboration and shared ambition in support of Vision 2030.
For more information on Athar Festival, the registration process, and the programme, please visit www.atharfestival.com.
