Building Platforms for Saudi Creativity

Saudi entrepreneur Kholoud Attar has built a career across publishing, creative media and cultural products, creating opportunities for local talent to reach wider audiences.

Kholoud Attar’s career began with a gap she noticed in Saudi Arabia’s creative community. Designers, artists and photographers had ideas and talent, but there were limited platforms dedicated to showcasing their work and bringing them together. In 2007, she set out to change that by founding Design magazine in Jeddah.

The publication gave creative professionals a space to share their work and connect with a wider audience. It began in print and later expanded into digital media and creative networking. For Attar, the magazine was about more than design as a profession. It was a way to encourage people to think creatively, recognise local talent and see the value of ideas in everyday life.

Growing Beyond Publishing

Attar went on to establish KAAPH Media, a creative media company that expanded the original vision into a wider range of services. Its work includes publishing, production, publicity, branding and creative projects for companies and government entities.

Through KAAPH, Attar has worked across different parts of the creative industry, bringing together ideas, communication and business. Her work has also included artistic coffee-table books and media projects, extending the reach of Saudi creativity beyond a single publication.

Her career has crossed into film distribution, too. In 2020, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia described Attar as the first Saudi businesswoman to acquire a film distribution licence. She has spoken about the decision as an early investment in local filmmakers and the future of Saudi film. For her, film and other cultural platforms play an important role in how a country tells its own stories and shapes how it is understood.

Breaking New Ground

In 2019, KAAPH Media was selected to manage the media centre of Al-Wehda Club in Makkah. The appointment made Attar the first woman to head a Saudi football club’s media centre, adding sports media to a career already spanning publishing and creative business.

The milestone reflected the range of spaces in which she was willing to work. Rather than limiting her business to one sector, she continued to look for ways to apply media, storytelling and creative thinking across different industries.

Taking Saudi Stories Into Everyday Life

Attar’s work has also moved into cultural products through DRB, a business focused on Saudi souvenirs and culturally inspired gifts. The concept connects local designers and artisans with opportunities to turn Saudi stories and heritage into products for residents and visitors.

It brings another dimension to her broader approach: creativity can be experienced not only through magazines and media, but also through objects that carry a sense of place and identity.

Across these ventures, a consistent theme runs through Attar’s work. She has sought to create connections between creative people, audiences and commercial opportunities. Her focus has been on building platforms where talent can be seen and where ideas can develop into sustainable businesses.

For Attar, supporting Saudi creativity means giving it the visibility, networks and opportunities it needs to grow. Through publishing, media, film and cultural products, she continues to work across the spaces where creative expression meets business.