The Creative Industry Summit (C-S) concluded its 12th edition, from November 28 to December 1, gathering leading experts from various industries locally, regionally, and internationally. The event showcased inspiring creative expertise, allowing attendees, from students to CEOs, to exchange experiences. A number of officials, leaders, experts, and entrepreneurs in various fields were also hosted, including Osama bin Ahmed Nugali, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Egypt, Amr Nassar, Former Minister of Industry and Trade, and Saudi entrepreneur Kaswara Al-Khatib, chairman and CEO of UTURN Entertainment. 

Mai Salama, Founding Partner of the Creative Industry Summit (C-S), said, “Continuing our success with C-S 2021 has brought us great enthusiasm as we come back bigger and stronger than ever to promote creativity as one of the main elements of excellence in all fields and arenas. We take great pride in extending cooperation with our strategic partners, including FP7 McCann Cairo, our first real believer, and HeartWork, the leading administrative headquarter in Egypt and MENA region at Mountain View iCity, as well as El Batron, Nojara, Mount PR, and Isobar. As a regional and global hub for creativity and creative economy, C-S aligns with the state’s diligence to launch cultural, investment, and economic events, maximizing Egypt’s attraction as a popular tourist destination.”

She added, "This edition is of particular importance to us. It is the first step towards realizing our most important dream – expanding collaboration with Arab countries, building on the solid base we have established in Egypt over the past years. Hand in hand with our partners in the advertising committee at the Chamber of Commerce in Riyadh, we take the upcoming edition of the Creative Industry Summit to Saudi Arabia next February in collaboration with the KSA Chamber of Commerce and Balacona Platform. Augmenting our homegrown brand to other countries in the region, we [aim to] inspire and encourage all people with innovative ideas to pioneer their fields and support development in the whole Arab world.”

C-S 2021 brought together around 270 speakers representing 23 tracks, along with thousands of attendees. The summit featured eight workshops, 53 panel discussions, and several other activities. Amr El Kalaawy, Managing Director at FP7 McCANN Cairo, expressed his joy for going back live and emphasized the agency’s commitment to supporting the Creative Industry Summit since day one, offering a comprehensive platform for all creatives to achieve more breakthroughs.

The Creative Industry Summit shed light on several great stories, such as Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez’s project. He is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Notpla, a London-based startup with the goal of making packaging disappear. Their product is an edible package made of seaweed to reduce plastic waste and preserve the environment. The company received the World Technology Award from Fortune and TIME.