Latest news with #NoorRiyadh
Campaign ME
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
Cultural programming in Saudi Arabia through experiences
Since 2018, Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a profound and wide-ranging conversation with itself about its identity and place in the world. Culture has been and continues to be at the forefront of that conversation. Across art, music, sports, gaming, literature, heritage, crafts, museums and media there is a visceral energy. Having spent eight years in Saudi Arabia as Head of Events for Ithra, Aramco's Centre for World Culture in Dhahran, I got to witness firsthand the beginnings of the country's remarkable cultural resurgence. In common with many countries in the Gulf, the cultural landscape is defined by a top-down approach with significant subsidy and direction from the government about cultural and creative entities and cultural manifestations – including live events. Where Saudi perhaps differs is that with a large and young population that is majority Saudi there is also plenty of grass roots activity; indeed, there always has been, albeit not so obvious as it is now. Saudi nationals are not just importing ready-made culture but are taking cultural forms from elsewhere and adapting them to the specific Saudi context. Saudi manga is a prime example. It is visual art, music and film – historically, the most important forms in terms of reference material for marketers and advertisers – where Saudi is carving out its own identity and getting noticed across the world. 'Saudi Arabia is informing the global cultural ecosystem from its unique perspective.' Vision 2030 has enabled huge investment in cultural forms and intellectual property (IP) and it is paying off. Perceptions of the country are changing, driven in part by a culturally charged series of campaigns by Visit Saudi and promotion of major events such as Noor Riyadh, Al Ula Arts Festival and MDL Beast that have all grown to be internationally recognised and globally influential. Riyadh Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034 will only serve to stimulate further interest and engagement with a burgeoning cultural and creative sector. The Islamic Biennale in Jeddah is a prime example of how Saudi is informing the global cultural ecosystem from its unique perspective. The intersection of fine art and faith is as compelling and moving as any exhibition I have seen in recent years – not least because the work from an extraordinary range of global artists is imbued with meaning that transcends aesthetics or form. It is further evidence of a true cultural Renaissance. This renaissance – in the sense of a re-engagement and realignment of cultural values and forms combined with an extraordinary affinity with digital technology and a voracious appetite for content – has created a rich environment for those of us who work in the creative, cultural and communication sectors. It would be wrong to characterise the sense of new beginnings in Saudi Arabia as signifying a lack of cultural maturity or to see the Saudi market as simply some gold rush boom town. Filmmakers, for example, have been around for a very long time there and have honed their craft in sometimes difficult circumstances. Saudis are great communicators and very good storytellers with a nice line in ironic humour – take a look at the work of Telfaz 11 on Netflix. There is even a specific initiative QSAS, dedicated to immersive storytelling. As a result, Saudi nationals respond to good storytelling, especially work that has the ring of authenticity, and an attention to detail and sophistication; international agencies take note, coffee pots and camels will not win you work. Heritage plays its part, but it is a heritage that is complex and multifaceted with very distinctive regional differences – and like the Arabic language difficult and time consuming to fully comprehend and highly nuanced. Saudis are not only building a distinctive contemporary Saudi cultural identity but also taking time to communicate that to themselves and the wider world. The proliferation of conferences, summits and symposia on cultural subjects ranging from youth empowerment to digital wellness has been a new and developing capability for us at Jack Morton and has given us access to the cross currents of culture. In our other work – brand activations, launches and live events – there has not been one project, be it the inauguration of a new Saudi airline, the FIFA World Cup Host Nation announcement or adidas' retail activation in a major gaming tournament, that has not had a clear and specific cultural brief from the client. One cultural and societal shift has been the increasing role of women in the wider workforce and especially in the cultural and communication sectors across government entities and commercial operations. Bright, well educated, multilingual and culturally savvy women are running companies, museums, galleries, cultural initiatives marketing departments, festival and event teams and controlling significant spend across all aspects of experiential. They are expecting you to turn up with your A-game and an informed point of view, and expect to see Saudis and other women in key positions on the other side of the table. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) article aligning cultural heritage with business growth highlighted the enormous economic benefits that come from investment and promotion of culture and cited Morocco and Japan as countries that have followed similar strategies to Saudi Arabia with great effect. Saudi Arabia has 150 cultural facilities in the pipeline, representing $80bn by 2030, all focused on its objective to be a cultural hub, to diversify its economy and provide meaningful employment for its young, energetic workforce. For us, in the business of creating culturally relevant experiences, this is great news both as opportunity for growth but also for creative inspiration and some of the most interesting work you can find in the communications sector today. My own professional 'rebrand' from Executive Creative Director (ECD) to Executive Culture and Programming Director shows how seriously we at Jack Morton are taking this. By Stephen Powell, Executive Culture and Programming Director, Jack Morton UAE and KSA
Campaign ME
05-03-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
BPG Group appoints Norah Saud Alsaja as GM for BPG Arabia
BPG Bates PanGulf, part of WPP, has appointed Norah Saud Alsaja as General Manager for BPG Arabia, as it continues to strengthen its presence and capabilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Alsaja, a Saudi National, brings almost two decades of experience delivering innovative strategies for brands across the US, Middle East and Africa. As the General Manager of BPG Arabia, she will lead branding, strategic communication, customer experience (CX), PR, social and creative campaigns tailored to the evolving Saudi market, helping government entities and private organisations achieve their goals. Alsaja has vast experience launching successful campaigns for large-scale initiatives in Saudi Arabia, including the FIFA Club World Cup and Noor Riyadh. She has worked with global organisations such as P&G, General Mills, and Henkel, in addition to spearheading transformative projects under Vision 2030, such as the Riyadh Art initiatives during her tenure with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. Commenting on the appointment, Avi Bhojani, Group CEO, BPG, said, 'We are delighted to welcome Norah to the team. Her track record of working with leading Saudi and international brands coupled with her deep cultural understanding of the evolving Saudi landscape, stood out for us – and we are excited for her to be a significant part of business expansion plans in the Kingdom.' Bhojani added, 'BPG's CX first and integrated by intent positioning aligns with Saudi Arabia's rapid digital transformation – and we are confident that Norah will be able to take our creative capabilities to the right partners in this dynamic market.' Alsaja holds a degree in Systems Management from Georgetown University and an MPH in Communications from George Washington University. She is a graduate of the prestigious Misk 2030 Leaders Programme and a member of the Saudi Leadership Society, having been recognised for her leading role in shaping the Kingdom's communications landscape. Reacting to the appointment, Alsaja said: 'I am excited to lead BPG's integrated communications and 'digital first' approach in KSA. Saudi brands are increasingly looking to work with agencies that bring innovative thinking and integrated strategies to the table – and I believe BPG's legacy of working on trailblazing campaigns in the region coupled with their expertise in multi-disciplinary practices, puts them at the forefront of the business. I look forward to working with the team to drive profitability and growth in the Kingdom.' She is supported in Saudi Arabia with a quality team of 14 across Riyadh and Jeddah with supplementing of resources from BPG's flagship Dubai Office, Kuwait's largest BPG office as well as BPG's Global Cloud resources.
