Areas of Expertise:
Siwar Bandar brings to her role nearly two decades of communication and advisory experience across a breadth of industries and sectors, including culture, arts, heritage, development, hospitality and advocacy organizations in Washington D.C., Damascus, Jeddah and Riyadh. She joins APCO’s Riyadh office as a senior account director.
Stories are my passion. Whether it’s reading a graphic novel with my daughters, listening to women communities in AlUla laughing and chatting as they braid palm fronds and make baskets, or watching eager volunteers guide visitors through the historic pathways and traditional buildings of Diriyah. There is incredible depth, diversity, and beauty in the Kingdom, and I am proud to help tell its story.
Prior to joining APCO, Siwar was communication director for Turquoise Mountain, Saudia Arabia, a royal charity started by His Majesty King Charles III to support traditional craftsmanship across the world. In this capacity she worked with the Ministry of Culture, as well as other public and governmental partners. She also held communication posts in leading advocacy and development agencies, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and Rawafad, a cultural project in Syria. She has also been affiliated with private sector entities, overseeing social media and marketing for the Fairmont Raffles Hotel Group and Tompkins Builders, respectively.
Siwar Bandar holds an MA in Communication from Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC. She also earned a BA in English Literature form the University of California, Los Angeles.