Fast Company Middle East and the Middle East Communications Network (MCN) will launch a new white paper at Athar Festival 2025, Saudi Arabia’s leading creative marketing festival, held on October 21 and 22 at the JAX District in Diriyah, Riyadh. The report quantifies how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE+I) can directly drive innovation, productivity, and sustainable economic growth across the Middle East.

At the festival, the panel – Beyond Representation: How Social Sustainability Drives Economic Growth – will examine the real cost of exclusion, from underrepresentation in leadership to inaccessible workplaces. Speakers will explore how modern, market-driven inclusion strategies unlock creativity, improve employment trends, and create competitive advantage. The discussion also offers a practical blueprint for aligning with GCC national visions, including Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, We the UAE 2031, and Qatar’s National Vision 2030.

The white paper reframes DE+I from a corporate ideal to a measurable economic driver, emphasizing diversity across nationality, background, education, and socio-economic experience. Organizations that embrace this broader definition outperform peers in innovation, attract top talent, and sustain higher employee engagement. By building inclusive hiring and leadership pipelines and fostering multicultural, multigenerational workforces, businesses can unlock creativity and long-term growth.

Framed as both an economic catalyst and policy priority, the report highlights how inclusive workplaces, integrated DE+I strategies, and transparent governance create resilient, future-ready organizations. Companies prioritizing DE+I see measurable gains in innovation, workforce engagement, and sustainability, directly supporting the region’s ambitions for equitable and prosperous growth.

Ravi Raman, Publisher at Fast Company Middle East, says, “We view diversity, equity, and inclusion not just as ideals, but as essential drivers of innovation and long-term business resilience. Our partnership with MCN for this report reflects our commitment to elevating these values and showcasing how they can serve as a powerful blueprint for sustainable growth in the region.”

“At MCN, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion represent far more than corporate social responsibilities—they are business imperatives. In a region defined by diversity, our greatest untapped advantage lies in building organizational cultures and policies that harness this inherent strength. This white paper serves as a call to action: challenging established paradigms, unlocking growth opportunities, and designing economies where everyone thrives,” said Ghassan Harfouche, Group CEO, MCN.

The white paper addresses critical barriers, including gender gap elimination, accessibility enhancement for people with disabilities, and the advancement of equitable labor practices. It also delivers data-driven insights and recommendations specifically tailored for the Middle East’s unique social and economic landscape.

Policymakers, business leaders, and industry stakeholders can leverage the report to implement inclusive strategies that enhance economic performance while promoting social cohesion and lasting growth.

Join us at Athar for the launch of the whitepaper by registering here.