The Creative Industry Summit in Riyadh is a highly anticipated event bringing together innovators, leaders, and creatives from various sectors. They are gathering in the vibrant capital of Saudi Arabia to celebrate and explore the landscape of the creative industries. The summit aims to foster collaborations, inspire new ideas, and highlight the significance of the creative field. This year’s attendees are in for a treat! The array of engaging panels and talks with topics ranging from digital media and design to entertainment and cultural entrepreneurship. Here is a list of speakers we are excited to hear from:
May Abdel Asim
Founder and Managing director of Media & More, What Women Want…Magazine, Mindfood Publications, and HerStory Films.
May Abdel Asim is a prominent figure in the realm of media and communication, renowned for her innovative approach and leadership. Her career spans 23 years, with 18 dedicated to entrepreneurship. She founded and manages Media & More, and established What Women Want…Magazine, a leading women’s publication in Egypt since 2006. In 2020, she launched Mindfood Publications, the first publishing house in Egypt exclusively for female authors. This was followed by HerStory Films in 2023, a pioneering production company for female filmmakers.
Kareem Abou Gamrah
CEO – Peace Cake
For over a decade, Kareem Abou Gamrah has been at the forefront of digital content creation. As the CEO of Peace Cake, one of the Middle East’s leading content creation companies, Kareem has driven the company to achieve billions of views. He began his career at Google, specializing in digital marketing when the market was still in its infancy. Kareem has worked with numerous companies and projects to build a strategic focus around online content and consumption. Beyond being a speaker and advisor in the content industry, he now leads Peace Cake in creating content that meets the demands of our fast-paced, modern world, reaching millions across the Middle East every day.
HRH Princess Nourah Bint Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Faisal
Founder and Creative Director at Adhlal – CEO of Art of Heritage – Founder & Designer at Nuun Jewels.
HRH Princess Nourah is a passionate designer, entrepreneur, and business development professional with a remarkable track record in both international and local design ecosystems. In 2014, she founded Nuun Jewellery atelier in Paris, France. It showcases her expertise in creating exquisite jewelry pieces. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish Adhlal for Design, a community-based research and design consultancy in Saudi Arabia. HRH Princess Nourah excels in general management, design services, business model development, and industry research. She possesses a strong acumen for identifying opportunities and driving business growth.
Ahmad Alammary – Baloo
Chief Creative Officer MDLBEAST
Ahmad Alammary, known as Baloo, is the Chief Creative Officer at MDLBEAST. The Saudi-based entertainment company is driving the growth of music culture in the region. Baloo has significantly influenced the evolution of the underground music landscape in Saudi Arabia. A creative at heart and one of Saudi Arabia’s veteran DJs, Baloo is also the label head for Gabu Records. It is an electronic music label and event series. His career spans three decades, during which he has captivated audiences worldwide. He seamlessly blends the rhythms of Saudi Arabia into global dance music. As the Chief Creative Officer of MDLBEAST, Baloo continues to lead the charge in electronic music innovation in the Middle East.
Mohamed El Zayat
Film Director
Mohamed El Zayat is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker and recipient of the prestigious D&AD Yellow Pencil award for direction. He remains one of the most awarded directors in the Middle East, known for his cinematic storytelling in commercials and music videos. Zayat’s work has garnered significant acclaim, including being featured twice as a Vimeo Staff Pick and three times in Directors’ Library, as well as in renowned advertising publications like Shots.net, LBBOnline, and One Club for Creativity. His impressive portfolio includes Juhayna’s 40-year celebration featuring Mona Zaki, Swvl’s “Absurd Cairo,” Palm Hills’ “Searching for Salma” featuring Asser Yassin, Rehalt/Shattaf, and Cairokee’s hit music video “James Dean.”
Tarek Atrissi
Founder of Tarek Atrissi Design Netherlands / Barcelona
Lebanese-Dutch designer Tarek Atrissi is one of the most recognized figures in the Arab world’s design community. In 2000, he founded Tarek Atrissi Design, a Netherlands-based studio now operating out of Barcelona. The studio’s typographic and cross-cultural design approach has earned international acclaim, significantly influencing contemporary graphic design in the Middle East. In 2017, Atrissi was named one of the 100 most influential Lebanese professionals globally and was honored as a distinguished alumnus by both the American University of Beirut and the School of Visual Arts in New York. His accolades include awards from TDC New York, the Adobe Design Achievement Awards, and the Design for Asia Award. Atrissi also established the Arabic Type Foundry (www.ArabicTypography.com), which specializes in creating multilingual custom and retail typefaces.