Stars in their eyes

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At the Athar Festival in October, two men in particular could be seen roaming the halls of Diriyah’s JAX District. For Joseph Makhoul and Ibraheem Abbas, Athar was D-Day—the moment they declared their intent to the world and launched Anjom, a Saudi-first creative agency devoted to crafting stories and ideas that fuse culture, creativity, and innovation. 

Makhoul, who co-founded the Dubai-based full-service agency quote un quote with Shahbaz Zobairi in 2023 and served as chief executive of Mint MENA for seven years, had had his eyes on Saudi Arabia for a while. Initially, the plan was to open a quote un quote office in the kingdom. Then a mutual friend introduced Makhoul to Abbas, author of the bestselling fantasy/sci-fi novel Hawjan and chief creative officer of Focus Advertising in Jeddah. Abbas was looking to do his own thing, Makhoul wanted to branch out into Saudi, and the two clicked.

“I always felt that for Saudi Arabia, you need to have a Saudi agency, and you need to have Saudi influence,” says Makhoul, a veteran of the region’s advertising industry. “At that time, I was talking to Ibraheem about quote un quote, and then he had this idea. He was like, ‘Listen, I have this name, I have a great story, and it’s called Anjom’.”

Anjom, which means ‘stars’ or ‘constellation’ in English, opened a ‘statement office’ in Jeddah’s The Nest Tower late last year, replete with a cigar lounge and terrace overlooking the Red Sea. Makhoul, the agency’s chief executive, currently splits his time between Dubai and Jeddah, while Abbas, Anjom’s chief creative officer, is focused on the kingdom, creating a home for Saudi creativity and fostering meaningful collaborations with clients and talent. 

“If you want to build an agency for Saudi, you need to be true to Saudi,” stresses Makhoul, who was born and raised in Dhahran to Lebanese parents. “Having Ibraheem onboard as a core Saudi influence gives you unmatched cultural insights and relevance, and he’s so respected within the industry. Anjom is a reference point for the level we aim to achieve: hand-picked talent, strategic depth, and world-class creative output.”

Backing this vision as a silent partner is Rayyan Jamjoom, chief executive of Social Clinic and an entrepreneur with demonstrated success across multiple ventures. The agency is also supported by Anjom shareholder quote un quote, which has built a sizable retainer business and, late last year, took on an additional 1,000 square feet of office space in Dubai Media City’s Al Shatha Tower. Quote un quote’s team of 10 will be accessible to Anjom, which to date has hired an associate creative director, a graphic designer, and an accountant in Jeddah and is actively seeking an account manager. 

“We said from day one, we are a network agency. Yes, we are an independent office at this point, but it doesn’t mean that we need to behave as if we’re alone. Quote un quote is an extension of Anjom that will fulfill and support its requirements, whether it is recruitment, creative support, or looking after non-Saudi clients.

“When an agency is backed by an agency, it naturally gives you a level of confidence,” adds Makhoul. “We’re not concerned about resourcing, though it is a challenge; we’ve invested significantly in the office, and the priority now is to secure the right clients and build the team in a way that matches that investment. Otherwise, it’s simply unnecessary overhead. The opportunity in Saudi Arabia is on a different scale: larger budgets, bigger clients, greater exposure, and, with the right relationships, we’re able to access spaces that many other agencies would find difficult to enter.”

Anjom’s first client was Roche Pharmaceuticals, for whom it created an awareness campaign in collaboration with the Saudi Health Council. It has since established a strategic relationship with Ülker and has set its sights on competing with multinational agency networks. “That’s where we’re going. We said from day one, we’re benchmarking against the top-tier agencies.”

As the agency enters its first full year, an office in the capital is on the cards. The founders, however, are primarily focused on building high-performing teams, deepening partnerships with ambitious Saudi brands, and fulfilling the potential of their Anjom dream. 

“As we move into 2026, our focus at Anjom is clear: build a high-performing, strategically led creative business that delivers measurable impact, not just beautiful work,” says Makhoul. “We want to deepen our partnerships with a small number of ambitious brands, strengthen our capabilities, and continue attracting top talent that raises the standard every day. The goal is simple: be the agency clients trust for the moments that matter, and the ideas that shape brand growth.”