Uprising: Why Arwa Aldawood’s Work Focuses on ‘Impact’ Over ‘Influence’

It’s safe to say that as a child, Arwa Aldawood wasn’t a fly on the wall. Though she describes herself as introverted in nature, she also says, “I was that kid who would hop on any table as if it were my stage, and then perform the new poem I had memorised,” as she reflects back. This confidence made its way into her other hobbies, giving her the courage to be bolder with the decisions she made. She says, “I was also the kid who would sneak into their dad’s library and read books they weren’t really allowed to read.” 

Growing up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, her background is what she describes as “Conservative, religious and simple” but this didn’t stop her from expanding her horizons by seeking out new ideas, finding enthusiasm in the topics which caught her attention and being “full of life, and sometimes doubt” in her ventures. 

When it came to deciding on a university degree, Arwa chose law and politics, spending her time dedicated to working, volunteering and harnessing creativity, both during and aside from her studies. “The administration, which was always super supportive, gave me and my team the opportunity to visit different cities in the Kingdom and abroad,” says Arwa. Her dedication to studies was recognised, and in what she describes as “a pure accident”, she managed to land herself a job as a writer. “Little did I know I was taking part in establishing ثمانية ‘Thmanyh’, one of the biggest companies in Saudi today.”

After her graduation, Arwa was determined to follow her “new-found passion” and get a chance to experience the life of a writer in the creative field. Seeing her work go live was one of the most surreal moments for her, she explains, “It was exciting and empowering to work on a project one day, and see it displayed on the streets the day after.” That willed her to keep going, pursue her passion and keep honing her writing skills. 

“My job title has witnessed constant transformations: journalist, researcher, and now, copywriter,” she says. “All these different roles were opportunities for me to hone my writing skills and sharpen my creativity.” Part of keeping on top of the industry, Arwa makes sure to read up on new trends, takes courses, researches specific topics and of course, meets other creatives through brainstorming, group meetings and socialising. 

From early on in her career, there was a valuable lesson that Arwa learnt, “If you are bored of repeating the thing you do, you’re just a step away from perfecting it.” When that’s said and done, she moves on to the next challenge, as her favourite aspect of the job is learning new things as well as “searching for new facts, crafting presentations, and of course, presenting” once she’s done. Inspiring her in the field, she mentions the Egyptian director Ali Ali as a “magnificent storyteller”, who she aspires to become like.

One of the campaigns that she’s particularly proud of is ‘Um Saud’, created before the law allowing Saudi women to drive was passed. Arwa says, “In partnership with the traffic department, we made videos and created a whole campaign to teach women, in an interesting way, how to drive, as well as educate them on traffic laws.” The reason this campaign was significant was partly due to the fact that she puts a focus on ‘impact’ rather than ‘influence’, allowing purpose to shine through. This is also something that she believes the industry could focus on, “To be more specialised, more effective, less time-consuming” – and the omission of client servicing culture, which she believes “kills the creative.”

When she isn’t focused on CSR projects and making impactful statements, you’ll find Arwa watching films, pushing her limits while doing CrossFit and scrolling through both Instagram and TikTok. Her aim is to “become the kind of writer who creates a whole new world for my readers”, which she supports by working on a series of short stories for young adults – so watch that space! But of course, there is an underlying motivation which consistently keeps her going:

“I want to continue working in an environment where I don’t stop learning. As for life, I always want to keep my sense of wonder alive. Every time I realise there’s something I don’t know, it becomes my biggest motivation.”