Star Power and Creative Excellence Shine as Athar Awards Brings Athar Festival 2025 to a Spectacular Close
November 13, 2025
- 87 trailblazing campaigns, creators, and brands driving the region’s creative evolution recognised during gala dinner
- Ahmed Helmy, Jo Malone CBE, and Mo Gawdat lead thought-provoking sessions on creativity, purpose, and the power of human connection
- 3,100+ attendees, 200+ speakers, and 100+ hours of content mark the festival’s biggest edition to date
Riyadh – Saudi Arabia, 23 October 2025: Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the Kingdom’s largest gathering of the creative marketing industry, concluded a landmark third edition with its long-awaited Athar Awards. This grand celebration of Saudi and regional talent brought two days of knowledge exchange and bold discourse to a powerful close, revealing the shape of the industry today and the future it dares to create.
Athar Awards 2025
For one night, the Athar Awards witnessed the largest gathering of creative marketing and communications professionals in the region under one roof, from global networks to local champions and emerging talent. It drew 274 finalists across 35 categories, with 87 awards presented, up from 51 last year, including 36 Gold, 34 Silver, and 17 Bronze. Winners were selected through a multi-stage judging process involving more than 80 industry experts from across the public and private sectors, many of whom were returning award winners and festival participants.
During his ceremony address, Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, said: “Athar Festival’s third edition has exceeded our expectations on every level. We thank everyone for being part of our growing community and adding to the diverse appeal of the festival which offered attendees opportunities to find inspiration at the Spotlight Stage, connect with peers and collaborators at the Community Stage, and engage in lively discussions and cultural experiences across the festival floor. We’ve saved the best for last with our biggest edition of the Athar Awards, a platform dedicated to recognising and celebrating the creativity and innovative ideas exhibited over the past year that continue to put the region’s creative marketing ecosystem on the global map.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival, and CEO of TRACCS, added: “As we come together for the final time this year, I want to say how privileged I feel to be part of an industry that is leaving a lasting impact while embodying the spirit of collaboration. This year’s edition marked a defining moment for Athar Festival as it evolved into a festival in the truest sense of the word, one that gives Saudi talent the space, the voice, and the representation it deserves. Athar Awards, the culmination of two remarkable days of dialogue, networking, and collaboration, has become a symbol of that progress and a testament to how Saudi creatives are turning into one of the nation’s most valuable assets and Saudi creativity into one of its most valuable exports.”
VML, which made its mark at last year’s awards with multiple wins and commendations, emerged as the evening’s defining success story with 22 trophies across campaign, individual, and team categories. These included seven Gold, ten Silver, and five Bronze awards. SRMG Labs also delivered a strong showing, securing four Gold and three Silver wins.
Community and Culture
In the lead-up to awards night, Day Two centred on the people and communities shaping the region’s marketing and communications landscape, while also expanding its focus on the creative and performing arts through a curated series of live experiences. Among the most anticipated sessions was an intimate conversation with celebrated actor and comedian Ahmed Helmy, which drew some of the festival’s largest audiences.
Helmy explored humour as a universal yet infinitely nuanced language in creative communications. Drawing on decades as one of the MENA region’s most prolific entertainment figures, he shared how great comedy depends on precision, constant testing, refinement, and timing, offering valuable lessons for creatives on striking the right chord with audiences across diverse mediums.
Earlier in the day, Jo Malone CBE shared her insights on the art of endurance in brand building. Drawing from her own journey, she described how motivation, intuition, and authenticity remain the foundation of brands that not only resonate but endure. Later, Mo Gawdat challenged audiences to rethink creativity in an AI-driven age. He explored how the technology’s rapid evolution is reshaping loyalty, decision-making, and imagination itself.
“The strength of our sector lies in its people, their passion, curiosity, and shared belief in creative work as a driver of progress. Every conversation today, including the brilliant sessions by Ahmed Helmy, Jo Malone, and Mo Gawdat, has championed Athar Festival’s mission to build on those very strengths,” added Al Ayed.
Day Two’s agenda also explored AI, data-driven innovation, media evolution, and brand storytelling, reflecting a maturing creative ecosystem where technology and human insight work together to drive meaningful connection and business growth. Other sessions on influencer marketing, DEI, and gaming culture examined how authenticity, empathy, and inclusion are redefining the relationship between brands and audiences.
Athar Festival 2025 in Numbers
The 2025 edition marked a milestone third year for Athar Festival, drawing 3,100+ attendees and more than 200 speakers across 39 panel discussions, 26 presentations, nine interactive sessions, six keynotes, nine fireside chats, and eight masterclasses. Together, these sessions delivered over 100 hours of content, complemented by networking meetups and immersive live experiences that served as avenues for learning, discovery, and connection.
Speaking at the festival’s close, Fairservice added, “If Athar Festival has proven anything over the past three years, it is that it has successfully captured the attention of one of the world’s most fertile creative communities. Every year brings new voices, new alliances, and new ideas, setting the stage for an even stronger edition in 2026.”
Athar Festival 2025 is presented by Motivate Media Group and TRACCS. For more information and to view the list of winners, visit the official website awards.atharfestival.com/2025-winners/
