Athar Festival 2024 reveals speaker lineup

Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the Kingdom’s largest gathering of the creative marketing industry, continues to gather momentum with the unveiling of its comprehensive lineup of speakers shortly after its recent announcement of Sir Martin Sorrell as its first headlining speaker earlier this month. This year’s Festival promises an unparalleled experience with dynamic sessions, exclusive networking opportunities, and captivating discussions on the future of the industry.

Taking place on November 5-6 at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention, Athar Festival 2024 is quickly drawing closer, bringing in top speakers from across the globe. The Festival will feature a range of panels exploring crucial themes such as AI, sports marketing, and gaming, among others. Noteworthy panels include “Leaders and Visionaries: Chief Creative Officers (CCOs) Unplugged,” featuring Fizo Younis, CCO at Publicis Communications KSA, and Marie-Claire Maalouf, CCO at Edelman. Another highlight is “Navigating the Future of the Creative Marketing, Advertising and Communications Industry” with Ramsey Naja, CCO at Das Kapital, providing insights into the industry’s evolution.

The Festival will also see the participation of several new speakers who are set to enrich and build on the dialogue kickstarted by the inaugural edition of Athar Festival last year. Key among the lineup is His Highness Prince Fahad bin Faisal Al Saud, Founder of NA3AM, who will take the stage to discuss the evolution of entertainment and media in Saudi Arabia.

Other confirmed speakers include Houda Tohme, CEO of Havas Media Middle East, Najeeb Jarrar, CMO – Middle East and North Africa at Google, and Tim Miles, SVP Global Sync at Warner Music Group. Additionally, Mohammed Bahmishan, CEO and CCO at FP7 McCann Saudi Arabia, and gamer, Xzit Thamer will bring their expertise and insight to the Festival.

Fahad bin Faisal Al Saud, Founder of NA3AM, said: “I feel it’s my responsibility to align myself with initiatives and platforms, like Athar Festival, that are spearheading the realization of Vision 2030. I always believe in championing and promoting any channels of progress, especially within the creative arts and expression, in Saudi.”

Mohammed Bahmishan, CEO and CCO at FP7 McCann Saudi Arabia, added: “Athar is one of the major milestones in the advancement of our creative industry in KSA; a festival in Riyadh, with such great impact, taking us a step further towards redefining global standards from here.”

In addition to these insightful discussions, Athar Festival 2024 offers numerous opportunities for networking and collaboration. Meetups for like-minded professionals, exclusive roundtables like the CMO Roundtable powered by Bloomberg Media, and the CEO Roundtable powered by Raiyn Group, will provide intimate settings for high-level discussions for leaders of top organisations. Attendees can also engage in exclusive networking lunches, interactive masterclasses, and networking receptions, ensuring ample opportunities to connect and collaborate.

With an exceptional lineup of speakers, discussions, and the near-unlimited scope to build valuable connections, Athar Festival 2024 is the ideal platform for the industry’s budding youth. Students and young professionals aged 30 and under can make the most of the Festival’s recently launched early bird sale for passes, offering exclusive pricing until 1 October 2024.