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Abeer Alessa: The Bold Vision Behind Saudi Creative Leadership

Abeer Alessa: The Bold Vision Behind Saudi Creative Leadership

Abeer Alessa: A Creative Mind That Chose a Different Path

Abeer Alessa is a Saudi entrepreneur, Co-Founder, Group CEO, and Chairman of The Bold Group, whose journey from creative copywriter to influential business leader reflects the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s advertising industry. Among the first Saudi women to enter the sector, she has spent two decades challenging conventions, building opportunities, and demonstrating how local creativity can earn international recognition.

Inspired by the art of communication and the possibilities of creativity, Abeer Alessa began her career by earning a Diploma in Arts and Design from the Royal University for Women in Bahrain.

Her first professional opportunity came at MBC Group, where she worked as a Promotion Producer for a year. The experience introduced her to the world of media production and strengthened her interest in creative communication.

She later joined a leading multinational advertising agency as a Conceptual Copywriter, becoming one of the first Saudis, particularly Saudi women, to enter the advertising industry in the Kingdom.

It was a significant step in a field where international agencies dominated much of the market. For Abeer, however, the experience offered something beyond professional development. It allowed her to observe the industry’s methods, understand its opportunities, and recognize what was missing.

She saw room for a different approach to advertising, one that would better reflect local businesses, creativity, and the country’s own identity.

That realization would eventually lead her to one of the most important decisions of her career.

The Bold Decision That Changed Everything

Leaving the security and benefits of an established multinational agency was not an easy choice. Yet Abeer Alessa believed there was an opportunity to create something of her own.

She decided to leave the comfort of an international company and pursue entrepreneurship.

In 2010, she took steps to register her own company in Riyadh, naming it Bold Agency. The company would subsequently begin its operational journey in the early 2010s, growing from a small creative boutique into an independent Saudi agency.

Determined to strengthen her business expertise, Abeer moved to France for two years to pursue a Master’s degree in International Marketing and Business Development at SKEMA Business School.

The experience complemented her creative background with the strategic and commercial knowledge needed to develop a business in a competitive market.

Returning to Saudi Arabia, Abeer Alessa focused on transforming her entrepreneurial vision into a functioning agency.

What began as an idea for a different kind of advertising company gradually developed into a business with a distinctive place in the Saudi creative landscape.

Abeer Alessa: Building Bold and Earning Global Recognition

Alongside Co-Founder Mohamad Baalbaki, Abeer Alessa helped build Bold from a small creative operation into a multidisciplinary business.

The agency developed its expertise in brand building, communication, and creative services, offering an alternative to the approaches that had traditionally dominated the market.

As the company grew, so did its reputation.

Bold earned recognition at Dubai Lynx, including the Independent Agency of the Year distinction, becoming the first Saudi independent agency to receive the honor.

Its work also reached international rankings. In The Good Report 2019, issued by ACT Responsible, Bold was ranked among the world’s top 25 successful agencies recognized for socially responsible communication.

These achievements reflected more than the expansion of a company. They demonstrated the ability of a Saudi-born independent agency to compete beyond its home market.

For Abeer Alessa, building Bold also meant helping establish greater recognition for the talent and creative capabilities developing within Saudi Arabia.

The Evolution of The Bold Group

In 2022, marking a decade of Bold’s operational development, the company expanded into The Bold Group.

The transformation initially brought together three independent units specializing in brand building, communication, and digital experiences.

The group subsequently expanded its portfolio, moving beyond traditional advertising to offer a broader range of creative and business services.

Today, The Bold Group comprises seven specialized agencies: Bold Brands, Bold Xperiences, Bold Creatives, Bold Influence, Captains Films, Teeb Made, and Synergy Consulting.

Its capabilities now extend across branding, creative communication, customer experiences, public relations and influence, production, product design, and consulting.

With offices in Riyadh and Cairo, the group reports a workforce of more than 140 professionals, over 700 completed projects, and more than 20 awards and recognitions.

What began as a small Saudi creative agency has become a multidisciplinary group with regional operations and international ambitions.

Abeer Alessa’s leadership has evolved alongside that growth. As Group CEO and Chairman, her responsibilities now extend beyond developing creative services to strengthening the organization’s leadership, business capabilities, and long-term direction.

Abeer Alessa: Recognition Beyond Borders

As Bold expanded, Abeer Alessa and her team continued to receive industry recognition.

In 2023, she was named to Ad Age’s prestigious 40 Under 40 list, recognizing her contributions to advertising, media, and creative entrepreneurship.

The recognition marked an important moment in her career, placing her among emerging international leaders making an impact in their respective industries.

That same year, Bold received the Saudi Disruptor Award at the Athar Awards and was recognized by WINA as the Most Awarded Agency in Asia.

In 2024, the group’s record continued to grow, with distinctions at the PHNX Awards, Athar Awards, Transform Awards, and WINA. Its workplace culture also received recognition through Great Place to Work.

In October 2026, Abeer Alessa was featured in Campaign Middle East’s MENA Power List 2026, which recognized her leadership of The Bold Group and her influence in the region’s creative and communications sector.

The recognition reflected the scale of her journey, from a young creative professional entering an established industry to an entrepreneur leading a group of specialized businesses.

Shaping Saudi Arabia’s Advertising Industry

Abeer Alessa’s involvement in advertising has extended beyond the companies she has helped establish.

In 2017, she joined the Advertising Committee at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce, contributing to discussions surrounding the development of the Kingdom’s advertising sector.

Her responsibilities later expanded at the national level.

In May 2024, she was appointed Vice President of the Advertising Committee at the Federation of Saudi Chambers, a leadership role associated with the sector’s development and the advancement of local creative talent.

Her 2026 professional profile identifies her as Vice President of the National Committee for Advertising at the Federation of Saudi Chambers.

She also serves as a board member of Al Arabia OOH, extending her involvement in the advertising industry through corporate governance.

Another initiative associated with her work is Balaconah, a Saudi platform created to bring the advertising industry together while supporting the Arabic language.

Through these roles and initiatives, Abeer Alessa continues to participate in the evolution of an industry increasingly connected to Saudi Arabia’s broader economic and creative ambitions.

Beyond Advertising: Entrepreneurship and New Opportunities

The Bold Group is not Abeer Alessa’s only entrepreneurial venture.

She is also Co-Founder and Managing Director of Teeb, a company specializing in high-end lifestyle gift items. The business reflects another dimension of her creative interests, extending them into lifestyle products and design.

Teeb’s development is also reflected in The Bold Group’s expanded portfolio through Teeb Made.

Beyond these ventures, Abeer is a shareholder in Alhasel Holding, part of the Alessa family business.

Her involvement across different businesses reflects an entrepreneurial career that extends beyond a single industry, combining creative development, business management, and investment.

Abeer Alessa: Creating Space for Women to Lead

Throughout her career, Abeer Alessa has been part of a generation of Saudi women entering industries where female representation was once limited.

Her own journey began at a time when Saudi women were still establishing their presence in the Kingdom’s advertising industry.

As her career developed, so did her involvement in initiatives supporting women’s professional advancement.

In 2019, she became a member of the Saudi Women Leadership Circle at UNICEF, participating in the initiative during the 2019–2020 period.

Her contributions to women’s leadership are also reflected in her public discussions about collaboration, opportunity, and the development of Saudi Arabia’s creative economy.

In an article published in 2024, she explored how collaboration and the Kingdom’s wider transformation have created new possibilities for women working in advertising.

Her experience illustrates how representation can develop through participation, achievement, and the creation of opportunities for others.

The Future Is Bold

More than two decades into her professional journey, Abeer Alessa continues to look toward the future of creativity, communication, and business.

From traditional advertising to digital experiences, her company’s expansion reflects a changing industry in which the boundaries between creative services, technology, and business strategy are becoming increasingly connected.

Her focus is no longer simply on growing the agency she once imagined. It is also on developing the expertise, leadership, and structure needed to sustain an independent creative group in a competitive international environment.

Throughout that evolution, the original idea remains recognizable: there is value in seeing an opportunity where others see an established way of doing things.

Abeer Alessa’s story began with an understanding of communication and creativity. It grew through education, professional experience, entrepreneurial risk, and the determination to build something different.

Today, her journey stands as an example of how a Saudi creative vision can develop into a business with regional influence and international recognition.

And the name she chose for her company continues to reflect the decision that started it all.

Bold.

Editor’s Note | Executive-Women Global

Sometimes, the most meaningful careers begin with a decision to leave something comfortable behind.

Abeer Alessa saw an opportunity in an industry where few Saudi women had established themselves, and rather than waiting for the landscape to change, she chose to become part of that change.

What makes her journey particularly inspiring is how her ambition has evolved. The young creative professional who believed in a different advertising approach went on to build a business that opened doors, developed talent, and earned recognition far beyond Saudi Arabia.

At Executive-Women Global, we believe these are the stories worth sharing: women who create opportunities, lead with conviction, and remind the next generation that their ideas deserve a place in the world.

Abeer’s journey also reminds us that success is rarely the result of one courageous decision. It is built through years of learning, adapting, collaborating, and believing in what comes next.

And perhaps that is what being bold truly means: having the courage to begin, and the vision to keep growing.

Stay Connected with Abeer:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abeer-alessa/?isSelfProfile=false