The first day of the Fourth Saudi Marketing Conference concluded with the participation of more than 800 elite leaders and thinkers in the field of marketing, sales, and media, locally and globally, and social media experts, in order to discuss the most prominent issues in the marketing industry today, explore the latest technologies and methods used in promoting various products and services, and review Ways to develop marketing’s positive contribution to the development of the national economy and enhance its ability to face current and future challenges.

The conference proceedings began with a speech by Dr. Obaid Al-Abdali, one of the pioneers in the field of marketing in the Kingdom and the founder of the “Towards a Marketing Culture” project, who confirmed that the marketing industry in the Kingdom is witnessing a tangible development, such that the consumer has become the one who has the upper hand in the local market, not to mention the many government initiatives and reforms. Which elevated the market to become a buyer’s market after it was a seller’s market. Dr. Al-Abdali called for further development of the Saudi marketing industry by providing information and statistics that serve this industry, and staying away from emotional decisions that hinder the concept of the marketing profession and often take it out of context.

Session participants called for providing official statistics on outdoor billboards to help road advertising companies reach advertisers and target groups directly and quickly. Mr. Khaled Nagro, from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the Saudi market is witnessing great competition, but international companies have a distinguished product and enjoy huge budgets, and this enables them to implement advertising campaigns and cover Arab markets. On the other hand, many local companies suffer from the inability to Providing advertising services, noting that there is no objection to attracting international companies, but we want local companies, especially small ones, to enter the competition.

Mr. Al-Ayed explained that the Saudi market is considered one of the most active public relations markets in the region, with 500-800 active public relations contracts today in the Kingdom, stressing that 25%-30% of public relations work in the local market is limited to media communication only.

The Saudi Marketing Conference is organized by ThinkOut, the leading Saudi conference organizing company, which was founded and managed by one of the pioneers of Arab marketing, with support and sponsorship from major government and private agencies.
The Saudi Marketing Conference, which was established in 2009, is a special event in which sponsors, exhibiting companies, their clients, and employees in higher departments have the opportunity to attend exclusively, bringing them together with the decision makers hosted by the event. The conference also attracts all workers specialized in the fields of marketing and sales at the level of the Kingdom and the world. To inform them of the most important trends prevailing in these fields locally and globally