JEDDAH: In preparation for its annual Creative Advertising Awards competition, Okaz Organization for Press and Publication recently held a free course to help develop the skills of some of the contestants. The course on creativity in advertising was supervised by Abdulaziz Al-Sihli, Assistant Director General; Abdullah Al-Hassoun, Director of Public Relations; and Dr. Abdullah Bankhar, Secretary General of Okaz Creative Advertising Awards. Al-Sihli opened the course with a speech welcoming the participants and highlighted several programs sponsored by Okaz, including initiatives for talented and gifted people. He also thanked Prince Mish'al Bin Majed Bin Abdul Aziz, the Jeddah Governor, for his support and agreement to hand over the prizes to winners. On the sidelines of the course, Bankhar, who is a media professor at King Abdul Aziz University, said the idea for the awards was conceived two years ago because there were no other such contests. It is part of the commitment of Okaz towards Saudi society and the development of the media and advertisement industry. Advertisement is considered the main resource of the media. The market should be worth $10 billion, but in reality the size of the advertisement market in the Kingdom is less than half of this figure, said Bankhar. This was due to several factors including the fact that not many Saudis are involved in this field. This means there is still a lot of room for expansion, which will require the development of talented young male and female nationals, he added. Bankhar said he was proud of a competition that caters for Saudi creative talent, and added that the number of participants has doubled compared to last year. He praised Okaz for supporting such competitions. He said that universities are now increasingly offering courses in advertising and the media for young job seekers. He said the media cannot improve in quality unless it is supported by advertising revenue. He welcomed the support of Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Province, and his initiatives to develop Saudi talent. This year the competition will be intensive, given the number of Saudi agencies participating. Last year, many participants were found to have had no knowledge, background or experience in the basics of advertisement design, which prompted Okaz to hold the free course. Participants included students and those with professional experience. He stressed that young men and women must be given the opportunity and supported with guidance because there are nationals who can compete on a global level. The deadline for the competition is 5 P.M. on Thursday. Arbitration will start next week. The committee of judges is made up of seven persons who specialize in advertisement at the local and international level and is headed by businessman Saleh Al-Turki, Bankhar said. He added that the prizes for agencies are advertising space worth about SR4 million in total. Prizes for young Saudi talent are SR20,000 for third place and SR50,000 and SR75,000 for second and first places respectively, he said. Participant Iman Muhammad Othman, a third-year student at the College of Education, said she participated last year so she knows what is required. “It's a hobby, which with training courses and competitions, could see me have a career in the field in the future,” she said. Inas Ba'ishin, a university management student, said her love for designing prompted her to participate, adding that such competitions assess the proficiency a person has for design. Rozann Jalal, who graduated from the university's department of Print Designs and Advertisement, said she is participating to develop her skills and to identify her strengths and weaknesses.
