The organizers of Athar Festival 2026 have shared details for the upcoming fourth edition of the creative marketing gathering, scheduled to take place on November 24 and 25 at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention. The announcement occurred during the Origins to 2026 Edition panel held in Riyadh, where industry leaders examined the progress of the local creative sector.
The panel featured Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS, and Ahmed Al Sahhaf, CEO of MBC Media Solutions and President of the International Advertising Association Saudi Chapter. Following the panel discussion, organizers screened Athar Origins, a documentary recording the development and operational milestones of the gathering across its first three years.
Keynote Lineup for Athar Festival 2026
The upcoming two-day event will host more than 200 speakers across three dedicated stages. Notable participants include HRH Princess Lamia bint Majid Al Saud, Secretary General of Alwaleed Philanthropies, Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder and Executive Chairman of S4 Capital, and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen of Llewelyn-Bowen Design. Furthermore, Huib van Bockel, Founder of TENZING Natural Energy, and Markus Prosser, CMO of Atlassian Williams F1 Team, will deliver addresses to attendees.
“What excites me most about this year’s edition is the balance between what audiences have come to value about Athar Festival and what they will discover for the first time.”
Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival
Content Programme and Core Pillars
The conference structure will cover four specific content streams, including Future Forward and Screen & Influence, alongside the newly introduced Strategic Creativity and Decoding Saudi. These sessions will examine how emerging digital tools, content formats, and cultural developments influence commercial brand expansion in Saudi Arabia. In addition, interactive campaign showcases will present practical case studies from regional campaigns.
Specialized Programs and Industry Partnerships
The fourth edition will also host the return of the Maheerah Programme, the Future CMO Academy, and the Athar Awards ceremony. Event partners include Growth Partner MBC Media Solutions and Social Partner AlSayegh Worldwide, who will support social media reach and audience engagement across local channels.
“We are seeing Saudi talent create, with greater ambition and a stronger sense of identity, work that resonates both at home and beyond.”
Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival
Media partners for the gathering include Campaign Middle East, Gulf Business, What’s On Dubai, and What’s On Saudi Arabia. Community partners comprise Earned First, The Marketing Society, and PRCA, alongside participation from Guinness World Records, Publicis Groupe Middle East, Kliq, and Kantar, establishing Athar Festival 2026 as a major regional industry fixture.
