Thu, Oct 22

Resources.

Hand-picked sites for agency and marketing teams, from creative, copy and design to social, influencers, PR, production, strategy, media and AI, each with our take on when to use it.

Resources

  • Creativebehance.net

    Behance (opens in a new tab)

    Adobe's network for creative portfolios. Designers, illustrators, photographers and agencies publish whole projects as case studies, and the site lists freelancers and creative jobs.

    Our takeSearch by discipline and location to shortlist freelancers. A full case study shows how someone thinks, not just the final frame.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Creativeeyecannndy.com

    Eyecandy (opens in a new tab)

    A library of visual techniques for film and motion, from Dolly Zoom and Whip Pan to Stop Motion, each shown with example clips. It also publishes breakdowns of standout work.

    Our takeKeep it open when you write a film treatment or a director's brief. It gives the whole team one name and one reference for the shot you have in mind.

  • Creativeframeset.app

    Frameset (opens in a new tab)

    A visual reference search for film frames. Describe the shot you want in plain words or search with an image, then narrow the results by film details or by credits.

    Our takeGood for building a director's treatment fast: describe the mood you want and pull the frames that show it. Free searches are limited, so subscribe if you use it weekly.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Creativeflim.ai

    Flim (opens in a new tab)

    An AI search engine for film stills and visual references from films, TV series, ads and music videos. Search by mood, colour or era, collect frames into boards, and generate images in the same place.

    Our takeThe free plan covers film and TV stills with unlimited searching and one download a day; pay when a pitch needs ads and music videos too.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Creativefilm-grab.com

    FilmGrab (opens in a new tab)

    A free library of stills from nearly 4,000 films, started in 2010 and still run by one filmmaker who picks every image. Each film gets a gallery with its director, cinematographer and production designer credited.

    Our takeUse it to study a film's whole look, not just one frame. Browsing by cinematographer or aspect ratio helps when you're matching a treatment's style.

  • Creativeshot.cafe

    Shot Café (opens in a new tab)

    A searchable database of film and commercial stills for research and decks, tagged in detail by subject, setting and colour, from car interiors and diners to silhouettes and frames within frames.

    Our takeSmaller than ShotDeck or Flim, but its detailed tags make it quick to find one specific kind of shot for a mood board.

  • Creativeadsoftheworld.com

    Ads of the World (opens in a new tab)

    An archive of advertising campaigns from around the world, each credited to its brand and agency. Founded by Ivan Raszl in 2005, it is now owned by Clio Awards and splits work into professional and student sections.

    Our takeSearch a category or competitor before a brainstorm to see what has already been done. Browsing is open; you only need an account to bookmark or submit work.

  • Creativecreativeboom.com

    Creative Boom (opens in a new tab)

    An independent art and design magazine founded in 2009 by journalist Katy Cowan, covering new work, advertising and branding news, career advice, and creative jobs that show the salary.

    Our takeGood for spotting illustrators, animators and photographers to brief, and its jobs board helps you benchmark salaries when you are hiring.

  • Copywritingdictionary.ksaa.gov.sa

    Riyadh Dictionary of Contemporary Arabic (opens in a new tab)

    The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language's dictionary of contemporary standard Arabic, for native speakers and learners. Search for a word or browse by letter; there's also a free app.

    Our takeUse it to check how a word is used in today's standard Arabic before it goes into formal copy, such as a government or corporate campaign.

  • Copywritingsiwar.ksaa.gov.sa

    Siwar (opens in a new tab)

    The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language's platform for Arabic dictionaries. One search covers every dictionary published on it, more than 20 according to the site, and there's an app and a developer API.

    Our takeUse it when one dictionary isn't enough: a single search shows how several dictionaries define the same word, which helps when choosing between close synonyms.

  • Copywritingdohadictionary.org

    Doha Historical Dictionary of Arabic (opens in a new tab)

    A historical dictionary of Arabic from the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha. Entries trace a word's root, earliest known meaning and later senses, with citations from different periods. Completion was announced in December 2025.

    Our takeUse it when naming a brand or a product. It shows where a word comes from and how its meaning has shifted, so you can catch unwanted connotations early.

  • Copywritinghemingwayapp.com

    Hemingway Editor (opens in a new tab)

    A writing editor from Boondoggle Studio that scores how easy your text is to read and highlights hard-to-read sentences. The readability checker is free; Hemingway Editor Plus adds AI rewrites, grammar fixes and tone controls.

    Our takeRun English web copy, emails and voiceover scripts through it before review; the highlighted sentences show you what to cut first.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Copywritingreallygoodemails.com

    Really Good Emails (opens in a new tab)

    A gallery of more than 19,000 emails, hand-picked since 2014 and sorted by type, from welcome emails and newsletters to abandoned-cart and product-launch emails. It is part of the email builder Beefree.

    Our takePull five or six emails of the same type before you write a CRM flow, and compare how each one opens and asks for the click.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Designawwwards.com

    Awwwards (opens in a new tab)

    Awards for web design and development, with a Site of the Day chosen daily and more honours through the year. Its galleries sort winners by trend, category and technology, alongside courses, jobs and an agency directory.

    Our takeStart here before a website brief. Filter the galleries by your client's sector to show what a strong site looks like, then use the directory to shortlist digital studios.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Designdribbble.com

    Dribbble (opens in a new tab)

    A community where designers share short shots of their work, from interfaces and icons to illustration, motion and brand marks. Companies use it to find and hire designers.

    Our takeBest for detail: interface, icon and illustration references. For full brand case studies, Behance goes deeper.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Designdesignspiration.com

    Designspiration (opens in a new tab)

    A visual search engine for design inspiration across art, logos, photography, apps and interfaces. You can search by colour and save what you find into mood boards.

    Our takeOur pick for mood boards. Searching by colour makes it quick to build a palette-led board for a brand or a campaign.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Designmuz.li

    Muzli (opens in a new tab)

    A browser extension that turns every new tab into a curated feed of design work and news, drawn from sources such as Dribbble, Behance and Awwwards. It also has a searchable archive and colour tools.

    Our takeInstall it across the team for daily references without the hunting. Set the feed by discipline so brand, motion and UX designers each see their own.

  • Designrecent.design

    Recent (opens in a new tab)

    A gallery of current design work sorted by format, from websites, interfaces and app icons to branding, motion, posters, OG images and launch videos. It also runs a design jobs board.

    Our takeUse it to see what's being made right now. It collects formats most galleries skip, such as launch videos, OG images and app screenshots.

  • Designfonts.google.com

    Google Fonts (opens in a new tab)

    Google's library of open-source fonts, free to use in personal and commercial projects. Its Arabic families include Tajawal and Almarai, both by Boutros, as well as Amiri, Noto Kufi Arabic and Noto Naskh Arabic.

    Our takeOur first stop for Arabic in web and social work: the licences are open, so a font chosen at pitch stage can go into production without a purchase.

  • Design29lt.com

    29LT (opens in a new tab)

    A type foundry specialising in multi-script typography, with Arabic–Latin families such as Bukra, Zarid and Idris. It sells retail licences and creates bespoke type and logos for clients including Tamara and Balenciaga.

    Our takeShortlist it for bilingual identities: the Arabic–Latin families spare you the hunt for a matching Latin partner, and the site lets you preview fonts before buying.

  • Designtptq-arabic.com

    TPTQ Arabic (opens in a new tab)

    An Arabic type foundry and design studio in The Hague, run by Kristyan Sarkis and Peter Bilak as a sister company to Typotheque. It publishes retail and custom Arabic typefaces.

    Our takeOur pick when an identity needs a distinctive Arabic voice. Ask for temporary test access to try a family before you buy the licence.

  • Designkhtt.net

    Khatt Foundation (opens in a new tab)

    A cultural foundation and design research centre for Arabic typography and design across the Middle East, North Africa and their diaspora. It runs residencies, workshops and exhibitions, publishes books and hosts the Khatt Chronicles podcast.

    Our takeBackground reading rather than a daily tool. Before an Arabic identity or type project, its research and podcast give the team context that Latin-led references miss.

  • Designfontsinuse.com

    Fonts In Use (opens in a new tab)

    An independent archive of typography in use, indexed by typeface, format and topic. Each entry shows a real project and names the fonts in it, Arabic typefaces included.

    Our takeLook up a typeface before you license it: real projects show how it behaves at different sizes and what it pairs with, which a specimen alone won't.

  • Designcosmos.so

    Cosmos (opens in a new tab)

    An ad-free visual inspiration app for saving images, videos and links into private, public or shared collections. You can search by keyword, colour or visual similarity, and AI captions try to credit the original creator.

    Our takeA cleaner alternative to Pinterest for team mood boards, and it can import your existing Pinterest boards. Core features are free; Premium costs $8 a month.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Designcoolors.co

    Coolors (opens in a new tab)

    A colour palette generator by independent developer Fabrizio Bianchi, with tools to explore community palettes, pick colours from photos and preview palettes on sample designs. Plugins cover Figma, Chrome and Adobe apps.

    Our takeA quick way to rough out a campaign palette before it goes into the guidelines. The free plan saves up to ten palettes; Pro removes ads and limits.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Designdesignboom.com

    designboom (opens in a new tab)

    A daily magazine of architecture and design culture, running since 1999, with news and features across design, architecture and art, and live coverage from events such as Paris Art Week.

    Our takeScan it when a brief needs cultural references beyond advertising: product, spatial and material ideas often show up here before they reach campaigns.

  • Brandingthe-brandidentity.com

    The Brand Identity (opens in a new tab)

    A publication on brand and graphic design. Its features cover identity, packaging and branding projects, interviews with designers and studios, essays and new typefaces.

    Our takeRead the case studies before a rebrand pitch. They show identities across their applications, which makes them strong references for a client deck.

  • Brandingabduzeedo.com

    Abduzeedo (opens in a new tab)

    A design blog running since 2006 that features new work from studios around the world every day, across branding, typography, packaging, illustration, 3D and UI.

    Our takeA quick daily scan for branding, type and packaging work, with each project shown in several images rather than one.

  • Brandingbpando.org

    BP&O (opens in a new tab)

    BP&O (Branding, Packaging and Opinion) reviews brand identity and packaging work, with a focus on ideas, strategy and craft. Founded by Richard Baird, it also has sections for logos and motion.

    Our takeRead it for the reasoning as much as the visuals; the reviews explain why an identity works. BP&O Plus, at £50 a year or £6 a month, unlocks unlimited access.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Brandingunderconsideration.com

    Brand New (opens in a new tab)

    UnderConsideration's daily opinion and commentary on corporate and brand identity work, run by Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio. Posts are sorted by industry and project type, from new identities to before-and-after redesigns.

    Our takeUseful for benchmarking a rebrand against how peers have handled theirs. Full posts need a subscription; headlines and before-and-after images remain free to view.

  • Brandingbrandingstyleguides.com

    Branding Style Guides (opens in a new tab)

    An archive of brand guideline documents, from Coca-Cola and McDonald's to Saptco, searchable by language, year, size, region and tag. The documents are shared for educational use; rights stay with the brands.

    Our takePull two or three guidelines from your client's sector before writing their brand book, to agree on scope and level of detail early.

  • Brandingmindsparklemag.com

    Mindsparkle Mag (opens in a new tab)

    A design magazine showcasing branding, web, graphic and packaging projects through in-depth case studies. Plus members also get behind-the-scenes insights into how each project was made.

    Our takeRead the case studies when you need to explain an identity idea to a client: they show how one concept carries across every touchpoint.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Brandingpackagingoftheworld.com

    Packaging of the World (opens in a new tab)

    A creative packaging design archive and gallery that has hand-picked projects since 2008. You can browse by category, material, project type, year and location, and submitting work is free.

    Our takeFilter by location to find Saudi and UAE projects when a packaging brief needs regional references, then widen to global work for contrast.

  • Brandingthedieline.com

    Dieline (opens in a new tab)

    A packaging design publication for consumer brands, designers and agencies, covering news, redesigns, interviews and its own Dieline Awards. It also runs a weekly trends newsletter, a directory of suppliers and agencies, and a job board.

    Our takeFollow it to see where packaging is heading across categories. The free tier covers the newsletters; PRO, from $29 a year, opens the archive of articles and case studies.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Logossalogos.org

    Saudi Logos (opens in a new tab)

    An Arabic library of Saudi logos, from ministries and authorities to companies, universities and apps, free to download as SVG and PNG.

    Our takeHandy when a deck or a co-branded piece needs a Saudi entity's logo fast. Check the file against the organisation's own guidelines before client use: each logo's rights stay with its owner.

  • Logosksalogo.com

    KSA Logo (opens in a new tab)

    A Saudi logo library sorted by type, from ministries and government authorities to airlines, with PNG and SVG files to download. It also offers PowerPoint templates.

    Our takeCheck it alongside Saudi Logos when you need a Saudi mark. It flags the newest version of each logo, which matters after a rebrand.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Logosbrandfetch.com

    Brandfetch (opens in a new tab)

    A searchable library of brand logos, colours, fonts and other assets, run by Brandfetch SA in Switzerland. Brands can claim and edit their own pages, and developers can pull the same data through its APIs.

    Our takeHandy for pitch decks and competitor slides: search a brand to find its logo and colours rather than screenshotting. Check the brand's own guidelines before public use.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Logossimpleicons.org

    Simple Icons (opens in a new tab)

    A free library of more than 3,400 SVG icons for popular brands, each with its brand colour code and, where available, a link to the brand's guidelines. It is a CC0 project maintained by its contributors.

    Our takeIdeal for platform and partner logos on slides and social templates: download a clean SVG in the brand's colour. Check each brand's own rules before using its mark.

  • Logoslogolounge.com

    LogoLounge (opens in a new tab)

    A searchable showcase of more than 450,000 curated, fully attributed logos, updated daily, with Bill Gardner's annual Logo Trend Report and an archive of more than 20 years of his logo trend insights.

    Our takeSearch it before presenting a logo route to check nothing too close already exists, and read the trend report to see which looks are getting crowded.

  • Logoslogo-archive.org

    LogoArchive (opens in a new tab)

    A subscription archive of historical modernist logos, researched, categorised and tagged, with new logos added daily and community submissions. Plans start at £8.22 a month, with a student discount.

    Our takeGo here when a mark needs to feel timeless rather than fashionable: the archive shows how simple forms have carried brands for decades.

  • Web designwebflow-website-digidop.webflow.io

    Webflow Websites by Digidop (opens in a new tab)

    A curated gallery of sites built in Webflow, run by the Webflow agency Digidop. Browse projects by category, colour and font, with a directory of Webflow experts and jobs.

    Our takeUseful when a client wants a site their own team can update. Every example is built in Webflow, so you can show what the platform can do before recommending it.

  • Web designland-book.com

    Landbook (opens in a new tab)

    A curated website design gallery, updated daily, that sorts pages by type, such as landing, pricing and sign-up, with filters for industry, style, typography, colour and platform. It also collects sections, headlines and motion.

    Our takeGo here when you need references for one page type, such as pricing or careers, rather than whole sites. The free plan limits results; Pro is $9 a month.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Social mediarunway.com

    Runway (opens in a new tab)

    Runway's platform for making and editing video and images with AI. It turns a prompt, image or clip into video, carries an edit across a whole clip, and works inside Premiere Pro and After Effects.

    Our takeGood for quick social edits and for turning a storyboard into an animatic before the shoot. The free plan's 125 one-time credits are enough to try it; label AI-made footage where a platform asks.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Social mediazeely.ai

    Zeely (opens in a new tab)

    An AI ad platform aimed at small sellers. It turns a product or a link into image and video ads, including AI avatar and UGC-style videos, and can launch Meta ads in bulk.

    Our takeSuits small e-commerce and local brands that need many ad variations fast. There's no free plan, and the site is English-only: test its Arabic before a Saudi campaign.

  • Social mediaplayplay.com

    PlayPlay Social Media Post Generator (opens in a new tab)

    A free tool from the video platform PlayPlay that writes social captions. Give it a topic, a platform (LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or X), a language and a tone, and it suggests three posts.

    Our takeHandy for a first draft or quick variations of a caption. It writes in English and five European languages but not Arabic, so keep it for English posts.

  • Social mediaads.tiktok.com

    TikTok Creative Center (opens in a new tab)

    TikTok's free hub for ad inspiration and trends. Top Ads shows high-performing ads with engagement and click-through figures; Trends lists trending hashtags by industry, with a trendline and audience insights for each. Logging in unlocks the full data.

    Our takeOpen it before writing any TikTok brief. Pull a few Top Ads to show what already works, then check the hashtag trends for the client's industry before locking the calendar.

  • Social mediafacebook.com

    Meta Ad Library (opens in a new tab)

    Meta's searchable library of the ads running across its platforms. You can search by advertiser Page or keyword to see every active ad a Page is running.

    Our takeOur go-to for competitor checks. Look up rival brands' Pages before a pitch or a quarterly review to see which creative, offers and formats they are running now.

  • Social mediaadstransparency.google.com

    Google Ads Transparency Center (opens in a new tab)

    Google's searchable record of who its advertisers are and which ads they show. You can search by advertiser name or website, filter by region and date, and see whether ads ran on Search, YouTube or Maps.

    Our takePair it with the Meta Ad Library to cover rivals' search and YouTube ads. The date filter shows what they ran during Ramadan or a launch.

  • Social mediacapcut.com

    CapCut (opens in a new tab)

    A video editor for phone, desktop and browser, with templates and tools aimed at social video. The free version covers the essentials, including auto-generated captions; Pro adds premium AI tools and advanced export options.

    Our takeOur pick for quick edits to Reels and TikToks on the go. For Arabic work, test captions and fonts before building a template around them.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Social mediametricool.com

    Metricool (opens in a new tab)

    A social media planner and analytics tool covering Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and more, with competitor tracking, automated reports and Google, Facebook and TikTok ads in one dashboard. The free plan covers one brand.

    Our takeA sensible default for smaller teams and freelancers: the free plan is enough to plan and publish for one brand. Note that Snapchat isn't on its list of networks.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Influencersgmedia.gov.sa

    Mawthooq (opens in a new tab)

    The General Authority for Media Regulation's licence for individuals who provide advertising content on social media. Its page lists the conditions, such as being 18 or over and proving you own the accounts, and links to the portal where you apply.

    Our takeCheck it before any paid creator work in Saudi Arabia: ask each creator for their Mawthooq licence before you contract, and keep a copy with the campaign paperwork.

  • Influencersmodash.io

    Modash (opens in a new tab)

    An influencer discovery and campaign platform covering creators with over 1,000 followers on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. It handles search, audience insights, content tracking and creator payments; prices are listed on its site, with a 14-day free trial.

    Our takeWorth the trial when you need to build a creator longlist fast. Its free fake-follower and engagement-rate checkers are handy for quick one-off checks.

  • Influencersdyzio.co

    Dyzio (opens in a new tab)

    Free guides from Dyzio, a platform that automatically captures creators' posts, Reels, TikToks and Stories and builds the campaign reports. They cover tracking campaigns without spreadsheets and moving brands from one-off gifting to creator communities.

    Our takeRead the tracking guide before a big influencer launch or event, when Stories disappear before anyone screenshots them. Each guide is free and arrives by email.

  • Influencersupfluence.com

    Upfluence (opens in a new tab)

    An influencer and affiliate marketing platform for e-commerce and direct-to-consumer brands. It covers creator search with audience and performance data, outreach, promo codes, sales tracking and creator payments, and connects to Shopify, WooCommerce and Amazon.

    Our takeBest when influencer work has to show sales, not just reach: promo codes and store tracking tie each creator to revenue. Pricing is custom, so book a demo.

  • Influencersads.tiktok.com

    TikTok One (opens in a new tab)

    TikTok's creator marketing platform, home to its Creator Marketplace. Brands can search creators by country, audience and engagement, run campaigns from brief to delivery, and connect with TikTok-approved creative partners.

    Our takeOur first stop for TikTok creator work, since the metrics come straight from the platform. It needs a login; for Saudi-based creators, pair it with a Mawthooq licence check.

  • Influencershypeauditor.com

    HypeAuditor (opens in a new tab)

    An influencer analytics platform for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Its free Instagram audit shows an account's engagement rate and audience quality score; the full platform covers discovery, outreach and campaign management, with paid plans priced on request.

    Our takeRun a free audit on every shortlisted creator before you sign. A weak audience quality score or a sudden follower spike is your cue to ask for their own analytics.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Influencerssocialblade.com

    Social Blade (opens in a new tab)

    Tracks daily statistics and growth for creators on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch and Facebook, and shows popular creators by country, including Saudi Arabia. It's free with ads; a membership removes them and unlocks more historical data and charts.

    Our takeCheck a creator's follower history before you sign: a sudden jump with flat engagement is a red flag worth raising. The free version is enough for spot checks.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • PRmepra.org

    MEPRA (opens in a new tab)

    The Middle East Public Relations Association, a non-profit founded in the UAE in 2001. It runs the MEPRA Awards, training through MEPRA Academy, a mentoring programme and leadership events, including an annual Leadership Majlis in Riyadh.

    Our takeJoin for the mentoring, the training and the CPD it runs with CIPR. If you lead comms in Saudi Arabia, put its Riyadh Leadership Majlis in the calendar.

  • PRzawya.com

    Zawya (opens in a new tab)

    LSEG's business and finance news site. Its press release section carries announcements from companies, governments and organisations across the Middle East and North Africa, and its Arabic edition has its own press release section.

    Our takeSend English releases to its PR desk and Arabic ones to its Arabic desk; both are on the contact page. The feed also shows what competitors are announcing.

  • PRprovokemedia.com

    PRovoke Media (opens in a new tab)

    A trade title for PR and communications, formerly The Holmes Report. It publishes news and analysis, the Global PR Agency Rankings and Agencies of the Year, and runs the SABRE Awards. Some long reads are for premium subscribers.

    Our takeCheck its Middle East agency lists before a pitch, a hire or an awards entry, and use the global rankings to size up the network agencies you're up against.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • PRqwoted.com

    Qwoted (opens in a new tab)

    A platform that connects journalists looking for sources with experts and PR teams. You build profiles for your spokespeople, get real-time alerts for matching requests and pitch from one place.

    Our takeStart on the free plan to see which requests suit your spokespeople. It allows two pitches a month with a two-hour delay, so upgrade only if you pitch weekly.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • PRprnewswire.com

    PR Newswire Middle East (opens in a new tab)

    Cision's press release wire, with a Middle East site and a feed of Arabic-language news. It distributes releases and offers tools for targeting, monitoring and reporting. Prices aren't published.

    Our takeUse it when an announcement needs international reach. Before booking, ask exactly which Gulf and Arabic-language outlets your release will reach.

  • PRmuckrack.com

    Muck Rack (opens in a new tab)

    A PR platform built on a database of journalists, with tools for pitching, media monitoring and reporting. Journalists use it free; PR teams pay, with plans for brands and agencies and pricing on request.

    Our takeBook a demo before an international push and ask how well it covers Gulf and Arabic-language outlets; its pricing page doesn't mention the region.

  • Productionfilm.moc.gov.sa

    Saudi Film Commission (opens in a new tab)

    The Saudi Film Commission's Film Saudi initiative for local and international productions. It covers the production incentive programme, filming locations from desert and sea to historic sites, a directory of service providers and help with licences and approvals.

    Our takeStart here when planning a shoot in Saudi Arabia. Use the directory to find local suppliers, and check the incentive terms early if the project is a film.

  • Productionfilming.experiencealula.com

    Film AlUla (opens in a new tab)

    Run by the Royal Commission for AlUla, Film AlUla supports productions shooting there with location scouting, filming and drone permits, visas, local crew, the AlUla Studios complex and cash rebates.

    Our takeContact the team before pitching AlUla as a location: they can confirm what's possible on permits, drones and incentives, which shapes both the treatment and the budget.

  • Productionstudiobinder.com

    StudioBinder (opens in a new tab)

    Web-based production management software covering pre-production from script to shoot day: screenplays and two-column AV scripts, breakdowns, shot lists, storyboards, mood boards, production calendars and call sheets.

    Our takeOur pick for agency producers moving shoots off spreadsheets. Call sheets go out by email and text with delivery tracking, and the AV script format suits ad scripts.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Productionshotdeck.com

    ShotDeck (opens in a new tab)

    A subscription library of high-definition stills and screengrabs from films and commercials, created by cinematographer Lawrence Sher. Team and enterprise plans are offered for studios and agencies.

    Our takeWorth paying for if you write treatments or director briefs often. Run the two-week free trial on a live pitch to see whether it earns its place.

  • Productionframe.io

    Frame.io (opens in a new tab)

    Adobe's video review and approval platform. Clients and colleagues leave frame-accurate comments on cuts, Camera to Cloud uploads takes from set as soon as they are shot, and it works with Premiere and Final Cut Pro.

    Our takeReplaces email chains of timecoded notes, because clients comment on the frame itself. The free plan (two members, 2GB, two projects) suits a trial on one small job.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Productionartlist.io

    Artlist (opens in a new tab)

    A subscription library of music, sound effects, stock footage, video templates and LUTs, with AI tools for generating images, video, voiceover and music. Licences are tiered, from plans for social channels to business licences.

    Our takeCheck the licence before client work: the Social plan is for social channels, client work and paid ads are listed under Pro, and agencies are pointed to the Business plan.

  • Strategydatareportal.com

    DataReportal (opens in a new tab)

    Free Digital reports from Kepios, with a Saudi Arabia edition every year since 2015. The 2026 edition covers population, mobile, internet use and speeds, social media use and audiences for platforms from YouTube and TikTok to Snapchat and X.

    Our takeOur first stop for the digital landscape slide in a Saudi pitch. Name the edition you quote, and check platform reach in each platform's own ad tools before you plan.

  • Strategystats.gov.sa

    General Authority for Statistics (opens in a new tab)

    Saudi Arabia's official statistics authority. It publishes figures on population and the 2022 census, the labour market, prices, the digital economy, tourism, and Hajj and Umrah, keeps a release calendar and handles requests for microdata.

    Our takeUse it for the official Saudi numbers behind a brief, from population to jobs and prices. Check the release calendar so your deck quotes the latest figure.

  • Strategytrends.google.com

    Google Trends (opens in a new tab)

    Google's tool for exploring search interest in terms and topics by time, place and popularity. Its Trending Now view for Saudi Arabia lists rising searches, Arabic ones included, with search volumes, filters and CSV export.

    Our takeCheck the Saudi view each morning for reactive content ideas, and compare terms in Explore before you name a product, a campaign or a hashtag.

  • Strategywarc.com

    WARC (opens in a new tab)

    A subscription database of marketing effectiveness evidence, with more than 30,000 case studies alongside reports, benchmarks and guides. WARC is part of LIONS, whose brands include Cannes Lions and Effie.

    Our takePull cases from your client's category to show the approach you propose has worked before. Non-subscribers can still follow The Feed, its daily effectiveness news.

  • Strategysystem1group.com

    System1 Test Your Ad (opens in a new tab)

    System1's ad testing platform. It measures consumers' emotional response second by second to predict an ad's long-term brand growth, short-term sales and branding strength, across TV, social, audio, print and outdoor, with results usually in 24 to 48 hours.

    Our takePre-test a brand film here before the media budget goes behind it. It runs in more than 80 markets, so confirm a Saudi sample when you book.

  • Studioblackmagicdesign.com

    DaVinci Resolve (opens in a new tab)

    Blackmagic Design's post-production app, combining editing, colour grading, Fusion visual effects and Fairlight audio, for Mac, Windows and Linux. The free version works up to Ultra HD; the paid Studio version adds AI tools and higher resolutions.

    Our takeOur pick for colour. Even if the team edits in Premiere, use the free version for grading, and buy Studio only when a job needs 10-bit or beyond-4K delivery.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Studiopexels.com

    Pexels (opens in a new tab)

    A library of free stock photos and videos. Its licence allows use in ads and marketing, lets you modify the files and doesn't require attribution.

    Our takeGood for social posts, mock-ups and placeholders. Read the licence before using identifiable people in ads: it bars implying that they endorse a product.

  • Studiohandbrake.fr

    HandBrake (opens in a new tab)

    A free, open-source video transcoder for Mac, Windows and Linux. It converts footage to MP4, MKV or WebM using H.264, H.265 or AV1, with built-in presets and a batch queue.

    Our takeHandy for shrinking heavy exports into review copies or platform-ready files. It runs locally and needs no account, so client footage stays on your machine.

  • Mediaplan-it.media

    Planit (opens in a new tab)

    A web app for building digital media plans. Choose objectives and channels, set CPM, CPC and CPV benchmarks, and export the plan to PDF or Excel. Free calculators cover CPM, CPC, CPV, and reach and frequency.

    Our takeGood for fast pitch plans and for sense-checking a budget. Replace its default benchmarks with your own Saudi and Gulf rates before a plan goes to a client.

  • Mediasimilarweb.com

    Similarweb (opens in a new tab)

    Similarweb ranks the most visited websites in Saudi Arabia, overall and by category, and its free tools check a site's traffic and research keywords. Full rankings, exports and deeper data sit behind a trial and paid plans.

    Our takeUse it to size publishers and competitors before a digital buy. Treat its figures as directional, and ask publishers for their own analytics before you commit.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Mediabusiness.google.com

    Google Ads Keyword Planner (opens in a new tab)

    Google's free keyword tool inside Google Ads. It suggests related keywords, shows how often terms are searched and how that changes over time, and forecasts clicks, impressions and conversions for a budget, with a suggested bid for each keyword.

    Our takeThe starting point for any search plan's keyword list and budget. It opens only once a Google Ads account is set up in Expert Mode, with a campaign created.

  • Mediabusiness.google.com

    Google Ads Reach Planner (opens in a new tab)

    Google's free planning tool for YouTube video campaigns, inside Google Ads. It forecasts reach, frequency, views and conversions for a budget, compares campaign types and mixes of ad formats, and in selected countries models TV and YouTube together.

    Our takeRun it before you recommend a YouTube budget, so the plan shows the reach and frequency the money buys. Find it under Planning in the Google Ads Tools menu.

  • Mediaiabmena.com

    IAB MENA (opens in a new tab)

    A not-for-profit industry body for digital media and data-driven advertising in the Middle East and North Africa, based in Dubai. It runs events, webinars and masterclasses, keeps a regional glossary and links to IAB's global standards.

    Our takeFollow it for the standards behind newer buys such as CTV and retail media. Membership adds its adspend reports, so check whether your agency already belongs.

    Free, with paid plansVisit site (opens in a new tab)
  • Mediagmedia.gov.sa

    General Authority for Media Regulation (opens in a new tab)

    The Saudi authority that develops and regulates the media sector. Its site carries the sector's laws and regulations, news and e-services, including one for companies that set up and run audience measurement for TV, radio, print and digital media.

    Our takeGo to the regulator's own laws and regulations page whenever a Saudi plan raises a compliance question, and quote it rather than a secondhand summary.

  • AIgithub.com

    Anthropic Skills (opens in a new tab)

    Anthropic's public repository of skills for Claude: folders of instructions, scripts and resources that teach it repeatable tasks. It spans design, communications and documents, including the skills Claude uses to create and edit Word, PowerPoint, Excel and PDF files.

    Our takeStart here before building your own. Use the brand-guidelines skill as a template for a client's colours and type, and skill-creator to write and test new skills.

  • AIclaude.com

    Claude Plugins (opens in a new tab)

    Anthropic's marketplace of plugins for Claude. Each plugin bundles tools, skills and integrations for one-click installation, from Marketing, Brand Voice and Design plugins to ones from Adobe, Slack and Dropbox.

    Our takeStart with the Marketing and Brand Voice plugins and feed them each client's guidelines and terminology. Install plugins only from developers you trust.

  • AIgithub.com

    Marketing Skills for AI Agents (opens in a new tab)

    A free, MIT-licensed library of marketing skills for AI agents by Corey Haines, covering conversion optimisation, copywriting, SEO, paid ads, analytics and launches. It works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other agents that support the Agent Skills spec.

    Our takeBest for growth teams comfortable in a terminal. Run the product-marketing skill first to record product, audience and positioning, which the others read; several assume a SaaS product.

  • AIgithub.com

    OpenAI Plugins (opens in a new tab)

    OpenAI's curated collection of plugins for Codex. A plugin can bundle skills, app connections and commands; creative ones include OpenAI's Creative Production and plugins from Adobe and Canva, and others connect to Figma, Notion and Google Slides.

    Our takeWorth a look if your team uses Codex: Creative Production turns a brief or product image into ad directions, mood boards and social posts. Canva's plugin needs a Canva account.

  • AIplatform.claude.com

    Claude Prompt Engineering Guide (opens in a new tab)

    Anthropic's official guide to prompting Claude: when prompt engineering is the right fix, how to approach it, and a best-practices page on clear instructions, examples, XML structure, role prompting and prompt chaining. It also links to interactive tutorials.

    Our takeWritten with developers in mind, but anyone can go straight to the best-practices page: the same habits sharpen any brief you give Claude.

  • AIacademy.openai.com

    OpenAI Academy (opens in a new tab)

    OpenAI's free, self-paced courses on using AI at work, from AI Foundations to agents, workflows and AI leadership, alongside technical tracks for developers. Passing a course assessment earns a badge.

    Our takeNon-technical teams should start with AI Foundations, then Agents and Workflows. You can browse without signing in but need a ChatGPT account to enrol.

  • AIsupport.google.com

    Gemini Gems (opens in a new tab)

    Google's guide to Gems in the Gemini app: how to build a custom Gem in the web app with your own instructions and knowledge files, and where to find premade Gems such as Brainstormer and Writing editor.

    Our takeSet up one Gem per client with its brand guidelines as knowledge files, so every chat starts from the same brief. Let Gemini rewrite your instructions before you save.