By Afshan Aziz
As Saudi Arabia’s digital economy accelerates, marketing leaders across key sectors are calling for a recalibration of how brands use data, build loyalty, and define creativity.
Mohammed R. Abaalkheil, Vice President of Corporate Relations at STC, believes that Saudi consumers are shaping a new era of digital lifestyle expectations, one where convenience and emotional ease carry as much weight as innovation.
“People want a smooth digital lifestyle,” he said, explaining that even with vast data sets and predictive tools, brands must remain sensitive to human reactions and cultural nuance.
“You try to use the data you have, but not be blinded by it. We are humans before anything else.”
During a panel discussion at the KSA Senior Marketers’ Effectiveness ThinkLab, which also included Hamza Jeddawi, Chief Experience Development Officer at the Saudi Tourism Authority, and Mohammed Jifri, Chief Marketing Officer at HungerStation, Abaalkheil emphasized that Vision 2030 has dramatically shifted how companies operate, pushing teams to think continuously about what’s next rather than treating transformation as a deadline.
He also raised concerns about how future marketers will redefine creativity in a world where AI can generate assets in minutes. “What do we mean by creativity today? Is it the image, the ad, or the way you analyze the data? Understanding that balance is essential,” he added.
For Jedawi, the next stage of marketing relies on a deeper understanding of motivations rather than demographics. He stated that brands must evolve from basic segmentation to interpreting what drives people. He said, “Data will give you the ‘why,’ but it will never give you the ‘what’.The magic happens when you merge data with creativity. That’s where relevance is born.”
He also highlighted the increasing importance of integrating data directly into day-to-day operations, from CRM triggers to personalized offers. He pointed to behavioural signals such as the likelihood of a customer leaving a platform before their “fourth order”, as examples of how data can be used to predict loyalty and prevent churn.
Amidst these changes, however, Jifri believes that marketing’s fundamentals remain intact.
He said, “Brand building and distinctiveness still come first. If you don’t get those right, even the biggest media spend won’t deliver the impact you expect. While there is continuous pressure from short-term targets, true brand equity is built over time through clarity, consistency, and a memorable visual identity.”
However, the message from Saudi Arabia’s marketing leaders is clear- data may fuel the engine, but creativity and a deep understanding of people will determine who stays ahead.
