Director Middle East

Basis: Full-time

Salary: According to experience

Final date to receive applications: February 20th 2026

We’re excited to share a new opportunity  we continue to grow across the region, we’re looking for a Director, Manifesto Middle East, to join our team and help shape the next chapter of our journey. If you’re passionate about arts & culture, driven by growth and leadership, and excited to help build something as innovative as it is meaningful, we’d love to hear from you.

Perfectly positioned between the worlds of business, arts and culture, Manifesto acts as a consulting firm, a cultural entrepreneur, and a cultural producer. Working alongside companies and public bodies around the world, and in close collaboration with artists and curators, we design, manage, and produce cultural projects with strong creative and societal impacts. Founded in Paris in 2015 by Laure Confavreux-Colliex and Hervé Digne, the company is made up of a resolutely intercultural and multidisciplinary team.

At Manifesto, we approach every creative project with demanding artistic requirements, our trademark ambition, and technical expertise, ensuring a genuine local impact to guarantee that new possibilities are open to all.

Manifesto and its partners established Manifesto Middle East in 2022, a Riyadh-based company dedicated to cultural urban planning and activation, cultural strategy, museum and heritage, artwork production, exhibitions and cultural residency programs.

Please send your application (CV and a Cover Letter of max. 2 pages) detailing your experience in leadership, commercial development, and operational management.

To:
Laure Confavreux-Colliex (laure.colliex) and Ahmed Demyati (ahmed.demyati)

Your cover letter must be submitted in both English and Arabic.

Manifesto Middle East is seeking a Director who possesses a dual mindset: a visionary leader in arts and culture, and a rigorous operational manager.

You will not only represent the company in the region but will also be the backbone of the agency's structure. You are expected to lead the team with vision in arts and culture, have an intense desire to work on a diversity of projects, work closely with artists and partners in Saudi Arabia, draft high-level commercial proposals, and ensure the company remains compliant with all administrative and legal frameworks in Saudi Arabia.

You will be under the Board’s supervision, reporting specifically to Laure Confavreux-Colliex (General Manager of Manifesto) and Ahmed Demyati (Chairman of Manifesto Middle East).

• Define the Vision:
  Work with the Board to refine and execute the strategic roadmap for Manifesto Middle East, ensuring alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. The reporting should be done monthly to the Board.
• Team Building:
  Recruit, mentor, and manage a multidisciplinary team. Foster a culture of excellence, creativity, and accountability.
• Representation:
  Act as the primary face of Manifesto in the region, representing the agency at high-level events, conferences, and stakeholder meetings.

• Commercial Offers:
  Lead the end-to-end production of commercial offers and tenders (RFPs). You must be able to translate creative concepts into structured, competitive business proposals.
• Growth:
  Identify new business opportunities with public entities (Ministries, Royal Commissions) and private sector clients.
• Partnerships:
  Expand the network of partners, including artists, fabricators, and sponsors, to strengthen the agency’s delivery capabilities.

• Manage cash flow, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Project Budgeting:
  Oversee the development of complex project budgets, ensuring healthy margins while maintaining artistic quality.
• Cost Control:
  Monitor operating expenses and negotiate with suppliers to ensure financial efficiency.

• Administrative Management:
  Oversee all office administration, including HR processes, payroll, visas, and office logistics.
• Legal Compliance:
  Ensure all agency activities…