RIYADH: Creative Summit is returning to Riyadh next month, focusing on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the creative industries while keeping human creativity at the center.

The three-day festival will take place from Oct. 3-5 at JAX District under the theme “Behind Every Intelligence … A Human,” bringing together creatives, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, filmmakers and professionals from across the creative economy.

Now in its third edition, Creative Summit is focusing this year’s program on the practical use of AI in creative work, alongside sustainability and business development challenges in an industry undergoing rapid technological change.

The festival’s theme reflects a growing debate across creative sectors about AI’s role in the production process, from generating content and developing ideas to changing established models of creative work.

Creative Summit co-founder Mai Salama said the theme emphasizes the continued importance of human creativity as technology and automation become more prominent.

Saudi Arabia continues to expand its creative economy through investment in culture, entertainment and other creative sectors. (Supplied)
Saudi Arabia continues to expand its creative economy through investment in culture, entertainment and other creative sectors. (Supplied)

The theme highlights the role of human intuition, experience and creativity in shaping ideas and stories, organizers said.

This year’s event features discussions and practical sessions on integrating AI into creative work, alongside conversations on building more sustainable creative industries and developing business solutions.

JAX District, which is hosting the festival for the second year, has become a hub for Saudi Arabia’s growing arts, culture and creative sectors. The partnership also aims to connect the Kingdom’s creative economy with regional agencies and international industry leaders.

Aya Al-Bakri, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, said JAX District brings together a growing community working across art, design, media and crafts.

“Creative Summit brings together those working in the creative industries, enabling direct dialogue within the ecosystem that supports their work throughout the year,” she said.

The summit comes as Saudi Arabia continues to expand its creative economy through investment in culture, entertainment, design, media and other creative sectors as part of the Kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 transformation.

Creative Summit has been active in the region’s creative scene for 13 years, with previous editions generating more than 280 million digital impressions and attracting thousands of speakers and hundreds of thousands of attendees.

Last year’s festival drew 21,000 visitors over three days, according to organizers.

This year’s event aims to move beyond discussions about the future of AI and creativity toward practical conversations about how the technology is already changing creative work, while examining what remains distinctly human in the creative process.