Jeddah-Based Midwam Offers A Fresh Take On Designing And Curating Unique Immersive Experiences
Founded in 2012, Midwam is a Jeddah-based immersive experience design company that specializes in designing and curating unique immersive experiences for organizations and institutions.
By Aby Sam Thomas •
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Founded in 2012, Midwam is a Jeddah-based immersive experience design company that specializes in designing and curating unique immersive experiences for organizations and institutions. Led by co-founder and CEO Khalid Al- Muawad, Midwam is currently the only company of its kind in Saudi Arabia, and its standing in the market can be seen in the number of leading events that it has already worked on in the Kingdom and abroad.
"Midwam counts tier-one government entities as its clients, including the Ministry of Culture, the Saudi Art Council, and MISK Innovation, as well as large enterprises, such as Saudi Airlines," Al-Muawad reveals. "Midwam has also worked with leading lifestyle and entertainment brands, including the first MDLBeast SoundStorm, Saudi Arabia's biggest transformational event that took place in Riyadh in December 2019, drawing the participation of 400,000 attendees. Outside of the Kingdom, the company has worked on multiple events in Moscow, London, New York, Paris, and Cannes."
Midwam's operations in Saudi Arabia come at a time when the country is currently seeing revolutionary growth in sectors like entertainment, real estate, tourism, arts, culture, and more. The company is thus extremely well-placed to take advantage of these changes happening in the Kingdom as it pursues its Vision 2030 mandate, and that's thanks to Al-Muawad spotting these opportunities and then tapping into it.
"I come from a banking and financial background, and I saw a huge unmet demand for creative cultural and entertainment spaces in which people can connect," he recalls. "Through relationships with companies in Saudi Arabia, the United States, Europe, and the Far East, we were able to fill this gap, and offer experiences that focused on various parts of culture, heritage, tourism, sports, and entertainment.
With Saudi Arabia's cultural and technological change, the company is in a unique position to capitalize on opportunities in the development of the aforementioned emerging core industries. Tourism, for example, is one of the Kingdom's most crucial pillars of growth, and Midwam will play a key part in providing immersive experiences that will attract visitors. Similarly, the cultural sector is predicted to grow at an exponential rate by 2030, and the extended reality industry will gain traction."
Source: Midwam
According to Al-Muawad, the demand for immersive experiences is going to increase as the world moves past the effects of the COVID-19 crisis. "Individual behaviors have changed dramatically since the pandemic, as digital experiences have become the norm, and thus, any physical encounter must be absolutely exceptional," Al- Muawad says. "Following the relaxation of restrictions, Midwam is well positioned to benefit from this new reality. As the tourism and events business returns to prepandemic levels, we will continue to collaborate with leading institutions."
However, Al-Muawad is clear that he wishes for Midwam to stand out not just on the local level, but also on the global playing field. "On a worldwide scale, we want to maintain our position as a pioneer in immersive experience design," Al- Muawad declares. "We aim to accelerate the development of creative, cutting-edge products to deliver the most captivating experiences across many industries through our pioneering methodology, which leverages the best of local know-how and human capital."
Source: Midwam
EUREKA: Khalid Al-Muawad explains how to make an idea a great one
1. Deliver a big impact "If I don't see impact in a project, we don't take it."
2. Make sure you stand out "An idea can only be considered as great if it is able to fill an empty gap in the market, or have a competitive edge."
3. Execution is everything "You should be able to develop a unique product, and inspire belief in your business."
4. Focus on your end user "Understand your audience, and deliver content that is innovative and engaging for the user."
5. Don't go at it alone "Last but not least, the most important thing to note is to select and put together a dedicated team of talents who will support your idea and drive growth."
Midwam is one of the companies included in the 2022 edition of our annual 10 Great Ideas feature, which celebrates individuals and innovations that impress with their ingenuity. Check out the full list of 10 Great Ideas in our print issue here.
