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How has the Saudi advertising landscape evolved over the past five years, especially with Vision 2030 driving digital transformation and creative industries?

It feels like the market jumped a decade in five years. 

When I first started spending proper time in Saudi, the work was still very traditional. Digital felt like something you add at the end. Today it’s the opposite. The whole ecosystem is digital by nature. Ideas move through content, culture, commerce, social and entertainment all at the same time. 

Vision 2030 changed the country’s confidence completely. It didn’t just transform the economy, it transformed ambition. Suddenly you have a place building giga projects and shaping new industries almost every month. When the country becomes that bold, the work has to follow. 

The biggest shift for me is mindset. Creatives now believe ideas from Saudi can travel to the world, not the other way around. And because the history and culture here are so rich and so vivid, you can find unbelievable stories that haven’t been told yet. That alone is a huge advantage. 

What are the biggest opportunities for brands in the Kingdom today, and how is Publicis Groupe helping clients tap into them?

Saudi is being rewritten in real time. Brands can either watch from the sidelines or become part of the story. 

There are three opportunities that stand out. 

Participation. People here don’t wait for brands to talk at them. They remix, edit, react, create. If you give them something they can own, they will. At Publicis Groupe we try to design ideas with participation built in from the start. 

Usefulness. The pace of change is overwhelming. If your idea solves a tension or removes a friction, people reward it. It can be a simple tool, a smart content format or a new service. We always ask what is the real value here. 

Culture. Saudi culture is incredibly rich and diverse. New scenes and subcultures appear every year. When brands tap into that honestly, the work lands. When they rely on clichés, people switch off immediately. 

Our role at Publicis Groupe is to connect the dots. Data and AI and social listening on one side, human insight on the other. When they meet in the right way, the work resonates and performs. 

What role does cultural authenticity play in Saudi advertising, and how do you ensure the work resonates locally while meeting global standards?

In Saudi, authenticity is not optional. It is the price of entry. 

People can spot fake Saudi in seconds. The accent is wrong, the behaviour feels off, the jokes don’t track. When that happens, the work doesn’t just fail, it actually damages the brand. 

Authenticity comes from immersion. You cannot understand a culture from a conference room. You need to walk the streets, hear how people speak, understand what they care about. That is the only way to build work that feels true. 

Inside Publicis Groupe we make sure Saudi talent is not just represented but leading the work. They help shape, challenge and protect the ideas. And we try to stay away from clichés. Not every Saudi story needs to look like the same three scenes we all know too well. 

The global side is simple. If the idea is genuinely human, it travels. We always ask if we strip away the Saudi layer, is the idea still strong. If yes, then you can confidently build the cultural truth back in. 

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What are the biggest challenges in the Saudi market today, and how is Publicis Groupe addressing them?

Talent is the biggest one. Everyone is fighting over strong Saudi talent. The demand is far bigger than the supply. For us, the answer is to grow talent from within. Training, mentorship, mobility, clear pathways. You cannot fix this challenge with hiring alone. 

The second challenge is the speed of change. Something shifts almost every day. You need teams that can adapt quickly and pivot without losing direction. That requires clarity and trust. If the team panics at every change, you will never keep up. 

Competition is intense. Local independents, global networks, consultancies, freelancers. I actually like that because it forces us at Publicis Groupe to be very clear about our value. Integration, creativity, partnership and real effectiveness. If the work moves business, everything else becomes noise. 

Consumer fragmentation is also real. Different regions, different generations, different habits. The answer is not ten separate campaigns. It is one strong platform with different expressions. One soul, many shapes. 

Looking ahead, what long term shifts do you expect in Saudi advertising, and how is Publicis Groupe preparing for the next decade?

I see a few big shifts already starting. 

Saudi ideas will go global. Not occasionally but consistently. More ideas will be born here and travel outwards. That requires ambition and a high creative bar, and we are building for that. 

Creativity and data will blend completely. AI will not sit on the side. It will be part of how we brief, create, optimise and measure. But technology without humanity does nothing, so we are making sure teams are fluent in both. 

Brands will take on bigger roles in society. Vision 2030 influences everything from mobility to wellness to culture and opportunity. Brands that genuinely contribute to these themes will win long term. 

Publicis Groupe is preparing on three fronts. Talent by building the next generation of Saudi creative leaders. Tools by developing an AI powered ecosystem that still respects craft. Mindset by staying comfortable with change because the market will not slow down. 

Saudi is dreaming big, and our work needs to match that energy.  

Note: This interview was conducted in December and is published in the ArabAd KSA Special Issue.