Panel Discussion

Been in content creation professionally for 6years+ , from small start-up to production, it’s the agency life that caught me. Truth to be told, I held my first camcorder when I was 11, a gift from my dad who thought I needed some distraction…. Not sure about distracting but it triggered my curiosity, which turned into a passion. The shutter’s sound, the film, the pressure of my finger before shooting.​ Fast forward, digital has taken over, scrolling on social media has become a hobby, content creator has become a job. From behind the camera, I jumped front and launched my own channel, some sort of journal, an invitation to see the world through my lenses.​ Music addict, you could catch me if you’re very lucky lip-syncing the backstreets boys while cruising… although I must admit, the sound of the engine is often what really resonates with me. I owned 6 cars, couple of dirt bikes, ate sand, get lost many times, deflates my tires often enough to know that the desert can be a very cold space. Yet the feeling of freedom is the same every time.​ I have the nature at heart, and when wandering the ground of the planet becomes so crazy, I dive into the mysteries of the ocean, dreaming of a better world.​

Wadha is the head digital wellbeing (Sync) at Ithra, a program aiming to raise awareness through translating research-based understanding of the amplification of technology on our lives into audience friendly material and tools. Prior to that, Wadha has held numerous positions in Saudi Aramco, including leading marketing and brand management at Ithra , and her role as the director of programming of the KSA Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, one of the largest pavilions at the Expo 2020 Dubai. She also worked as the head of creativity and innovation at King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) where she managed all creativity focused programming in addition to leading Ithra's Creativity Season, Tanween. Wadha has also driven the Ithra Award for Creative Design in 2016, iRead and the Bridges Art Program in 2017, as well as being in charge of the Center’s programs strategy in 2018. Prior to joining Ithra, Wadha worked in the public relations and digital marketing fields. She holds an MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, and has received her BSc in Computer Science from the Royal University for Women in Bahrain.

Ali is an award winning Creative Strategy Lead who works with brands and agencies on maximizing their creative impact to solve critical business problems. In his role, he pushes the boundaries of Google’s tools and platforms to drive innovative work at the intersection of data, tech, and creativity. Before joining Google from the agency world, Ali was one of the most awarded creative strategists in the region.

The Drum’s Big Won Rankings ranked him among the Top 20 Planners Worldwide in 2018 and the B&W Report named him MENA’s Planner of the Year in 2017. Today, he enjoys being on the judging side of top award shows such as Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx, Clio, WARC, Effie’s and New York Festivals in addition to teaching his Design Thinking & Product Creation course at Miami Ad School.

Waseem Afzal brings 19 years of Media and Ad-tech experience to the table. With leadership roles at Omnicom Media Group and TikTok, he’s well-versed in consumer behavior and technology. Waseem is now running a bootstrap startup, www.platformance.io, focused on aiding e-commerce and app-based advertisers in the MENA region. His passion lies in making advertising more effective in the digital platformization era.