Arab News | Saudi creatives urged to embrace reflection as catalyst for innovation

RIYADH: Creativity thrives not only through constant production but also through moments of reflection, industry leaders said at the Creative Industries Summit in Riyadh, where discussions focused on heritage, identity and the future of Saudi Arabia’s growing creative economy.

Speakers at the summit, which runs until Oct. 5 at Riyadh’s JAX District, highlighted the importance of pausing to reflect in an increasingly fast-paced world, arguing that meaningful innovation often emerges from a deeper understanding of culture, history and personal experience.

“For the Creative Industries Summit happening now in Saudi Arabia, it’s a time to reflect on what creativity and culture mean, because when we think of heritage, we don’t think of something that we preserve or keep in a museum. We think of something that is living, that we can drive from, and use the element barriers to co-create stuff, to design, to be inspired. This is where all this happens,” cultural heritage adviser Ebtisam Abdulaziz told Arab News.

Abdulaziz was speaking during a panel titled “The Future Has a Memory,” moderated by summit co-founder Mai Salama. The discussion explored how heritage can serve as a catalyst for creative production across sectors including advertising, film, tourism, art and music.

As Saudi Arabia’s creative industries continue to expand, speakers argued that the Kingdom’s heritage is becoming not merely a record of the past, but also a source of inspiration for future development.

“The reason we thought of Saudi Arabia is because we saw the changes that it started with. We saw where the Kingdom was headed, the shift, and we saw that creativity has become a very important anchor to the vision of the country,” she told Arab News.

When you go into a country, you need to have its people do the talking. That’s why in Saudi Arabia, everything here is built by Saudis.

Mai Sala, Creative Industries Summit cofounder

Salama and Neamat Khalil launched the Creative Industry Summit in Egypt in 2014. Since then, it has evolved from a conference into a regional platform designed to connect creatives, entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders.

The summit’s Saudi edition aims to strengthen those connections by creating opportunities for collaboration between local and international practitioners while showcasing Saudi talent.

“When you go into a country, you need to have its people do the talking,” Salama said. “That’s why in Saudi, everything here is built by Saudis.”

This year’s program features discussions on topics ranging from artificial intelligence and creative direction to sustainable business growth, offering attendees practical tools as well as opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange.

Among the participants are leading Saudi creatives, filmmakers, entrepreneurs and executives, including mural artist Noura Binsaidan and representatives of creative agency Habbar.

Salama praised the role of young Saudis in shaping the Kingdom’s cultural transformation.

“What I love about this scene is that the young generation is an actual part of the change,” she said.

“When you feel like you’re part of a change, you do things with more passion, and you put your heart and mind and muscle into it. It’s really incredible, and I think it’s worth it for the world to see this, worthy of boasting and being proud of.”

She also encouraged emerging creatives to remain authentic in their work.

“Learn, listen, receive, but do what you know is you. Be individualistic, be yourself … stay true to who you are, and it will come out better,” Salama said.

Saudi filmmaker, writer, and Telfaz11 Chief Creative Officer Ali Kalthami echoed the importance of reflection, describing it as a critical part of the creative process.

“I think the essential thing about these kinds of spaces is to reflect,” Kalthami told Arab News. “When you work in an industry where you move a lot, you’re hitting your goals, trying to have an ambition, you get busy (with) the process of making something. Whether it’s chasing a story, chasing a film, a product that you want to do, or whether it’s collaborating with somebody, these events will make you reflect.”

Such gatherings encourage creatives to reassess their knowledge, networks and perspectives, helping them identify opportunities for growth beyond their immediate circles, he said.

However, Kalthami warned that reflection must be balanced with action.

“You have to focus between reflecting and going back to your process. This balance can create knowledge, and it will be beneficial for your career. But if you get stuck on the reflection, you will get disabled, and if you get stuck in the process itself, you get stagnant,” he said.

Kalthami, whose recent film “Night Courier” explored themes including economic inequality, hustle culture and toxic masculinity, also discussed the future of Saudi cinema during a panel moderated by Fasllah founder and editor-in-chief Ahmed Al-Ayyad.

While production quality remains important, Kalthami said the next stage of growth for the Saudi film industry should focus on nurturing emerging talent and encouraging creative risk-taking.

“The biggest thing Saudis should focus on now in the film industry is enabling the next wave of filmmakers, enabling new faces and calculated, studied experimentation with genre,” he told Arab News.

Such experimentation, he added, could help broaden the scope of Saudi filmmaking beyond the comedy and coming-of-age narratives that have dominated screens in recent years, opening the door to genres such as psychological horror and drama.