Athar Awards 2024 to foster innovation in Saudi Arabia’s thriving creative industry

The highly anticipated second edition of Athar - Saudi Festival of Creativity, the Kingdom's largest gathering of the creative marketing industry, has officially announced the launch of the Athar Awards 2024. The entry period for the Awards’ 24 opens for both English and Arabic submissions on 30 May and will run until 5 September, encouraging submissions of the region's most creative campaigns from the public and private agencies, entrepreneurs and freelancers.

The Athar Awards 2024 champion the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by fostering and celebrating creativity as a key driver of economic growth, spotlighting the creative marketing ecosystem, and recognising its outstanding work that promotes education, sustainability, and innovation.

Hosted at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention from November 5-6, 2024, the Festival will gather experts and decision-makers from across the globe and celebrate the power of creative marketing as an enabler and accelerator of Saudi Arabia’s sustainable and thriving economy. Athar Festival 2024 will culminate with the Athar Awards Ceremony on 6 November, celebrating outstanding contributions to the Kingdom's burgeoning creative and communications sector.

Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, commented on the occasion, saying: “As Saudi Arabia’s foremost and most prestigious creative industry recognition, Athar Awards 2024 is a showstopping opportunity for the Kingdom’s marketers and creatives, and an unprecedented platform to showcase the country’s efforts in using creativity and innovation to become a global powerhouse.”

Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, added, “Creativity lies at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s cultural identity, and the potential of our nation’s youth, who are both creatively and technologically adept, significantly bolsters the growth of the creative economy, which is crucial in achieving the goals of Vision 2030. As the first of its kind to recognize and celebrate creative marketing excellence in the country, the Athar Awards 2024 are setting a new benchmark for progress.”

Dr. Obaid Alabdali, President of Mazeej Marketing Consulting & Boards Member and Member of the Judging Panel of the Athar Awards 2024, commented: "Throughout my career as a marketer, educator, writer, and consultant, I have had the privilege of working with some of the best minds and extraordinary talent in Saudi Arabia and beyond. The Kingdom's tremendous transformation journey requires the most creative individuals and organisations to reach their full potential and pave the way for its ambitious and thriving future. I view the Athar Awards 2024 not just as a platform for recognition, but as a springboard for the creative marketing industry to highlight its groundbreaking work and its enduring contribution to achieving Vision 2030.”

Joining Dr. Alabdali, an extensive panel of industry experts comprising professionals from in-house teams, agencies, and government bodies will judge the entries for each of the 24 categories. The esteemed jurors will follow a robust two-stage process, including a pre-scoring step to shortlist the candidates and a panel discussion to determine the winners. This approach ensures that the awards are ethical, transparent, respected, and credible.

The 2024 edition of the Awards is set to honour campaigns, individuals, and organisations through categories designed to reflect Saudi Arabia's unique cultural and strategic imperatives. The campaign awards include Best Empowerment Campaign, Best Innovative Campaign, Best Cultural Campaign, Best National Holiday Campaign, Best Sustainability Campaign, Best Environmental Campaign, Best Destination Campaign, Best National Development Campaign, Best Transformation Campaign, Best Campaign for The Future of Saudi Arabia, Best Business Growth Campaign, Best Not for Profit Campaign, Best Partnership Campaign, and Best Governmental Campaign.

The team awards include Creative Team of the Year, Marketing Team of the Year, Business Growth Team of the Year, and Media Team of the Year. Accolades for individuals feature the Creative Leader of the Year, Marketing Leader of the Year, Agency Leader of the Year, Growth Person of the Year, Young Creative of the Year, and Young Marketer of the Year.

Among these, awards for the Best Transformation Campaign and Best Campaign for the Future of Saudi Arabia stand out in particular as they both serve to recognise creative and transformative efforts that promote education, healthcare, and development while empowering the future of the Kingdom through job creation, encouraging the emergence of new and innovative startups, attracting investments, and more.