Epic Games, EGA Get Peely From Fortnite to Play up Lantern Fest During Ramadan
Epic Games partnered with Esports and Gaming Agency MENA to launch Lantern Fest in Fortnite during Ramadan, featuring the iconic character Peely in Saudi‑themed scenes. The hero video went viral, resonating with regional gamers and spilling over to global audiences. Targeting Gen Z and young millennials, the campaign aimed to deepen emotional connection and boost brand relevance in the Middle East. Metrics show tens of millions of views and over a million organic interactions across social platforms.
How ‘Vaseline Ghabga’ Turned Ramadan Gatherings Into Entertainment on MBC Shahid
Vaseline, through Unilever Arabia, launched “Vaseline Ghabga,” a four‑episode branded series on MBC Shahid that captures the traditional Gulf Ramadan gathering known as a ghabga. Produced by Team Reactivate Middle East with media agency PHD and influencer agency Mumkin, the...
Ruder Finn Atteline Launches Internal Comms, Capability Practise rf.engage
Ruder Finn Atteline has launched rf.engage, a strategic internal communications service line that delivers bespoke leadership training, change management, and employee‑engagement programs across the MENA region. The offering blends real‑world simulation, personalised coaching, and proprietary narrative frameworks to boost leaders'...
Multiply Media Group Appoints Elie Hajjar as Chief Operating Officer
Multiply Media Group announced the appointment of Elie Hajjar as its new Chief Operating Officer. Hajjar brings more than 20 years of out‑of‑home advertising experience, most recently as Managing Director of JCDecaux Middle East. In his new role he will...
From a Side Quest to Serious Business: Has Gaming Entered the Marketing Mix?
Gaming has moved from a peripheral budget line to a core component of the Middle East marketing mix. A PwC survey shows 23.5 million gamers—about 67% of Saudi Arabia’s population—and 7.3 million in the UAE, prompting brands to allocate significant spend to...
Dettol Celebrates Mothers’ Quiet Acts of Protection in Nostalgic Campaign
Dettol’s latest Mother’s Day digital campaign spotlights mothers’ quiet, everyday acts of protection, using a nostalgic photo‑album narrative to illustrate care from infancy through school years. The hero film debuted on YouTube and was amplified across TikTok, Meta, Snapchat and...
Brands For Less Shows up for Small Businesses with ‘By the Community, For the Community’
Brands For Less, a leading discount retailer in the Middle East, has launched the “By the Community, For the Community” platform to help UAE small businesses weather a slowdown in demand. The initiative offers rent‑free shelf space, in‑store activations, and exposure through...
New Balance Launches ‘Local Legends’ with Jumeirah Johns Running Club
New Balance has teamed up with the Jumeirah Johns Running Club to launch “Local Legends,” a community‑driven running series across Dubai. The program invites runners to nominate neighborhood businesses—such as laundromats, cafés and barbershops—to be featured on weekly routes, giving...
OSN+ Launches Music-Led Campaign Built Around Its Biggest Genres
OSN+ has rolled out a music‑led campaign featuring a multi‑genre brand anthem that maps the platform’s core genres—drama, horror, thriller, action and comedy—into a single sonic identity. The anthem was created in‑house, leveraging AI to prototype over 160 lyric and...
The Platform Updates You Need to Know From March
Meta will count only link clicks for click‑through attribution, moving likes, shares and saves to a new “engage‑through” category. Spotify launches an interactive BTS ARIRANG campaign and introduces SongDNA, a discovery‑focused music experience. Anghami adds AI‑generated metadata to 2.5 million songs,...
IMI Media Academy Appoints Chantal Saliba, Khalid Al Hosani to Leadership Positions
IMI Media Academy announced two senior appointments: Chantal Saliba as Academy Media and Training Director and Khalid Al Hosani as Academy Operations Director. The academy, which delivered over 800 training hours in 2025 and has trained more than 1,000 professionals, aims...
HAVAS Red Middle East Launches CRed to Bridge Brands and the Creator Economy
HAVAS Red Middle East has launched CRed, a new creator‑marketing practice that integrates the agency’s PR, influencer and experiential capabilities. CRed aims to shift brand‑creator collaborations from short‑term transactions to long‑term, credibility‑driven partnerships rooted in regional culture. The service will...
Diriyah Company Picks Maison Pyramide for Jabal AlQurain Avenue Retail Strategy
Diriyah Company has appointed Maison Pyramide as the retail strategist and leasing consultant for Jabal AlQurain Avenue, a 9,500 sqm mixed‑use cultural corridor in Riyadh’s historic Diriyah district. Maison Pyramide will shape the avenue’s retail vision, brand curation, leasing processes and...
Al Dhannah City Picks Entourage to Lead Destination Marketing and Communications
Entourage, a leading creative agency in the Middle East, has been hired to spearhead destination marketing, brand positioning, and integrated communications for Al Dhannah City. The agency will craft a differentiated identity and a structured roadmap covering brand strategy, narrative development, and...
Above Digital Shifts Focus to Outcomes-Driven Performance Marketing in 2026
Dubai‑based Above Digital is pivoting from ecommerce to an outcomes‑driven performance‑marketing model that emphasizes revenue‑focused campaigns for service‑based firms, B2B brands, the aesthetics sector and events. The agency is de‑prioritising vanity metrics, instead tracking lead‑to‑sale conversion and actual revenue impact,...
Mada Media Offers Investment Opportunity for 21 Digital Unipoles in Dubai
Mada Media has issued tender MM/COM/26-0010 for 21 premium digital unipole billboards along Sheikh Zayed Road in Jebel Ali, Dubai. Licensed out‑of‑home advertisers must submit technical proposals by 16 April 2026 and financial proposals by 23 April 2026. The assets target high‑traffic commuters, offering...
Resilience, Perspective and Purpose: Reflecting on the UAE’s Digital Media Industry
Andy Powell, CEO of Conscious Media, reflects on the UAE’s digital media evolution from the 2009 Maktoob‑Yahoo! deal to today’s vibrant ecosystem. He highlights the region’s youthful, mobile‑first audience and the influx of global tech giants that have built talent...
Momentum ME Appoints David Paysant as Chief Growth & Commercial Officer
Momentum ME has appointed David Paysant as Chief Growth & Commercial Officer to drive regional scaling and new verticals. Paysant brings a track record of expanding agencies in Hong Kong, leading Publicis digital transformation in the Middle East, and doubling revenue...
Lynqor Launches in the UAE with AI-Powered Orchestration Model to Tackle Fragmentation
Lynqor, a marketing orchestration platform founded by Kerem Emre Akarlar, has launched in the UAE to address growing marketing fragmentation in the MENA region. The company offers an AI‑powered model that unifies strategy, data, creative, media and partner execution into...
Turning E-Commerce ROI in Egypt’s Digital-First Scene
Egypt’s e‑commerce market is rapidly maturing, shifting from a growth trend to a primary revenue driver. Consumers, predominantly young and mobile‑first, now demand speed, simplicity, and transparency comparable to global standards. Brands that embed user‑centric design, trust‑building features, and data‑driven...
Globale Media Promotes Kritika Arora to Senior Director – Brand Strategy & Performance Marketing
Globale Media announced the promotion of Kritika Arora to Senior Director of Brand Strategy & Performance Marketing. In her new role she will lead integrated brand and performance initiatives, driving strategic growth for clients and reinforcing the firm’s full‑funnel marketing...
Gulf Business Hits Refresh with Website Overhaul
Motivate Media Group has relaunched Gulf Business with a faster, AI‑enabled website that integrates video, podcasts, newsletters and a continuous newsfeed. The overhaul, timed with the title’s 30th anniversary, emphasizes mobile performance, SEO and accessibility for senior GCC decision‑makers. Early...
Flyby Appoints Former Talabat CEO Tomaso Rodriguez as Chairman
Flyby has named former talabat chief executive Tomaso Rodriguez as its non‑executive chairman, signaling a shift from early traction to a scaling phase. The ad‑tech firm, which runs a network of IoT‑enabled smart boxes embedded in last‑mile delivery fleets, is preparing...
Call for Listings in Campaign’s Saudi Report 2026
Campaign Middle East has opened listings for its sixth Saudi Report, slated for publication in May 2026. The directory will feature free basic listings and paid half‑page, full‑page, or double‑page options, with submission deadlines of April 7 for basic entries and...
Why Cultural Localisation Is Becoming Essential to Brand Storytelling in the Middle East
The piece argues that cultural localisation has become essential for brand storytelling in the Middle East, illustrated by the Emirati‑origin animated series “Freej” and recent market data. It highlights that the MENA recorded‑music market grew roughly 23% in 2024, driven...
You Don’t Need a Cheaper Agency; You Need the Right Partnerships
Brands across the UAE and Saudi Arabia are frustrated with agencies that underperform and lack genuine brand insight, according to a Hashtag Media survey of 300 senior marketers. While 58% rate their agencies as underperforming and 54% say they don’t...
Adpro& Group Wins Fine Tissues Mandate Across the Levant Region
Adpro& Group has been appointed by Fine Levant to lead the creative, social and media mandate for Fine Tissues across Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq. The deal revives a partnership that ended in 2017 and adds the Fine Baby...
Why Communications Doesn’t Pause, It Pivots in Uncertain Times
Communications in the GCC don’t halt during geopolitical turbulence; they pivot to topics like business resilience and community support. Brands are urged to align storytelling with journalists’ current interests, emphasizing employee welfare, adaptation, and social responsibility. The article highlights Ramadan...
How Delivery Platforms Are Becoming the New Digital Shelves for Brands
Food‑delivery aggregators such as Talabat, Deliveroo and Careem have turned into digital shelves for restaurants across the UAE and wider Middle East. Visibility on these apps—driven by algorithmic rankings, menu presentation and promotions—now determines a brand’s ability to attract orders,...
Podcast: Porsche MEA & India’s Manfred Bräunl on Creating Communities for Customers and Fans
Porsche Middle East, Africa and India CEO Dr. Manfred Bräunl explained the brand’s shift toward experiential marketing and community‑centric initiatives. The company launched the DRVN by Porsche café and the two‑day "Icons of Porsche" event, drawing over 30,000 participants. Porsche now...
Pinterest Maps the Rise of ‘Thoughtful Parenting’ in 2026 Trend Report
Pinterest’s 2026 Parenting Trend Report reveals a surge in “thoughtful parenting,” where families prioritize offline learning, outdoor play, and experience‑rich routines over constant screen time. Search activity on the platform shows a 200% rise in "screen‑free" queries and a 340%...
OKHTEIN’s ‘In Between’ Turns Inward, Reflecting Modern Arab Womanhood
On International Women’s Day, Egyptian luxury design house OKHTEIN launched “In Between,” a campaign featuring co‑founders Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf that portrays the multifaceted lives of contemporary Arab women. The intimate, home‑based visuals blend childhood memories, daily rituals, and the...
The Vital Role of Advertising in Times of Uncertainty
Terry Kane of The Trade Desk argues that advertising is a critical infrastructure that keeps the free internet, quality journalism, and economic activity alive during periods of uncertainty. Historical research shows brands that maintain or increase ad spend in downturns...
Mada Media Holds Official Ceremony for Naming Rights of ‘National Paints’ Station
Mada Media hosted an official ceremony to award naming rights of Dubai Metro’s Red Line station to National Paints, formerly Jebel Ali. In 2025 the station served 636,873 passengers and delivered over 47 million brand impressions with a 25.78% reach, highlighting the...
The ENTERTAINER ‘Our Home. Our Heart’ Campaign Sees 100,000+ Offers Redeemed
The ENTERTAINER launched the "Our Home. Our Heart" campaign on March 12, 2026, offering free One Heart memberships to UAE residents to bolster the hospitality sector amid recent challenges. The initiative expanded from an initial 50,000 offers to 250,000 claimed...
Industry Snapshot: Meaningful Media Planning
5th Element’s CEO Muneef Khan says media planning in 2026 has moved from buying audiences to buying moments, using a behavioral cascade model that aligns each touchpoint with a decision trigger. He warns that algorithms are conservative and must be...
How AI Is Reshaping the Economics of Marketing
Simon Shaw argues that AI is redefining the economics of marketing through three interconnected forces—efficiency, excellence and effectiveness. AI automates content production, media buying and analytics, turning days‑long tasks into minutes and freeing capital. The real opportunity lies in redeploying...
Luma AI’s Jason Day on How Agentic AI Is Remaking the Creative Process of Marketing
Luma AI’s head of EMEA, Jason Day, says agentic AI is fundamentally reshaping marketing by turning the creative workflow into an end‑to‑end, real‑time system that can generate infinite, hyper‑personalized assets. The technology promises unprecedented speed, scale and cost efficiency, turning...
Podcast: Coca-Cola’s Ben Sadek on Brand Experiences that Move People and Partnering with the FIFA World Cup 2026
Coca‑Cola’s Middle East lead Ben Sadek explains how the company is shifting from pure brand‑awareness ads to immersive, experience‑driven marketing. The strategy leans on live events, creator collaborations, and high‑profile sports ties such as the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy...
Eight Cultural Shifts Shaping the GCC’s New Trust Economy
The M+C Saatchi Group Cultural Power Report 2026 maps eight deep‑seated cultural shifts reshaping the GCC’s emerging trust economy. Influencer growth has exploded to over 263,000 creators, yet trust in influencers has fallen to the region’s lowest‑rated profession, prompting a...
GWM Celebrates the Joy of Coming Together During Ramadan
Great Wall Motors (GWM) Middle East unveiled a Ramadan‑focused brand film released across digital and social channels. The narrative follows a family using various GWM models—including the new TANK 700, HAVAL V7, and HAVAL H9—to converge for iftar, emphasizing connection over pure performance....
The UAE’s Most Powerful PR Asset: Its People
The article argues that the United Arab Emirates’ strongest nation‑branding asset is its people, who act as organic brand evangelists through daily life. Decades of stable governance, pandemic response, and economic resilience have cultivated widespread trust, prompting residents to share...
How Inclusive Leadership Drives Stronger Creativity and Performance
The article argues that inclusive leadership is now a strategic imperative for communications firms, where Millennials and Gen Z comprise nearly 60 % of the workforce and demand values‑aligned cultures. It cites data showing low employee engagement and a 23 % profitability gap...
IWD 2026: The Career Multiplier We Don’t Talk About Enough – a Mentor
Yara Elsayed, senior media manager at HAVAS Media Middle East, argues that mentorship is a hidden career multiplier in the media sector. She defines mentors as experienced professionals who not only advise but open doors and teach better questioning. When...
IWD 2026: Why Women’s Empathy Is a Superpower for Business
Irina Tatarinova argues that women’s empathy is a strategic asset, not a weakness, driving stronger brand connections and employee loyalty. In the UAE, a 2025 law mandating at least one woman on every private joint‑stock board has sparked a four‑fold...
IWD 2026: Marketing in Times of Uncertainty – Why some Agencies Stand Out
Lebanese marketing agencies have turned chronic instability into a competitive advantage by mastering agility, speed, and digital‑first execution. They can redesign campaigns within hours, pivot tone instantly, and deliver high‑quality content across multiple languages. This adaptive approach positions them as...
A Closer Look at Saudi Arabia’s Creative Economy
Saudi Arabia’s creative economy is rapidly moving from the periphery to a strategic pillar of Vision 2030, driven by growth in advertising, gaming, design and content production. The sector is thriving amid a layered, globally‑connected Saudi society that demands more nuanced...
Jack & Jones Puts Denim in the Spotlight for Retail Debut in Dubai
Jack & Jones, the European denim arm of Bestseller, opened three flagship stores in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, marking its UAE debut. The launch is driven by the minimalist “Invisible Jeans” campaign, which omits models and focuses solely on the denim...
Making Creativity Your Commercial Advantage
Charli Wright argues that Middle East brands suffer from a disconnect between marketing creativity and commercial objectives, not a lack of ideas. Fragmented thinking leads to short‑term, visually impressive campaigns that miss regional buying triggers and fail to deliver sustainable...
‘Create Your Own Rom-Com Moment’: Fnp.ae Reveals Strategy Behind Valentine’s Campaign
Fnp.ae turned the crowded UAE Valentine’s market into a cultural moment with its “Create Your Own Rom‑Com Moment” campaign. The brand deployed a fully integrated media mix—DOOH billboards, premium digital screens, front‑page print, cultural publishers and live radio—to saturate commuter...