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October 2026

INDEX AGENCIES Abouchacra, Ramzy, MENA Media Practice President, dentsu MENA

Alessa, Abeer, Co-Founder, Group CEO and Chair, The Bold Group

Altuaymi, Rayan, CEO, Foaj Group

Arbid, Lara, CEO, Initiative MENAT and Magna

Bhojani, Avishesha, Group CEO, BPG Group

Bou Mansour, Fouad, CEO – MENAT, Burson

Boueri, Nassib, CEO, WPP Creative MENA and WPP MENA RHQ

Choucair, Elda, CEO, Omnicom Media MENA

Ghrayeb, Nadim, CEO, LEO Gulf

Daouk, Tarek, CEO, dentsu MENAT, and President, Merkle SEMENAT

El Hajj, Amer, CEO, WPP Media MENA

Fischer, Jennifer, Chief Innovation and Growth Officer, Publicis Groupe MENA

Gevresse, Nathalie, CEO, Publicis Communications Gulf

Harfouche, Ghassan, Group CEO, MCN MENAT

Haidar, Ahmad, Managing Director, Dentsu KSA

Harfouche, Mounir, CEO, MullenLowe MENA

Hasbani, Ziad, Regional CEO, Weber Shandwick MENAT

Hmadeh, Rami, Managing Partner, Serviceplan Group Middle East

Itani, Ahmad, Founder and Chief Advisor, Cicero & Bernay

Jawad, Mazen, CEO, Horizon Holdings

Kassabji, Ghassan, CEO, Impact BBDO Group Dubai, and Chief Growth Officer, Impact BBDO MENA

John, Sunil, Senior Advisor – MENA, Stagwell

Kakish, Bassel, CEO, Publicis Groupe Middle East and Turkey

Khoury, Ralph, CFO, WPP Media MENA

Laala, Sachinn, CEO, Liquid HAVAS Market

Konash, Ahmad, Group CEO, Wahaj Group, and CEO, Onsor Mosha Advertising

Maktabi, George, Group CEO, Webedia Arabia Group

Miknas, Tarek, CEO, FP7 McCANN MENAT

Nahawi, Mazen, Founder and CEO, CARMA and RAIYN

Naaman, Dany, CEO, HAVAS Middle East and Africa

Najjar, Wissam, Chief Commercial Officer, Omnicom Media MENA

Nicolas, Joe, CEO, UM MENAT

Raad, Reda, Group CEO, TBWA\RAAD

Sehly, Mohammed, CEO, BigTime Creative Shop

Sleiman, Ramzi, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi Gulf and Publicis Health Middle East

Tahir, Dana, CEO, HAVAS Red Middle East and Egypt

Tohme, Houda, CEO, HAVAS Media Middle East

Wazen, Tony, CEO, Publicis Media MENA

MEDIA NETWORKS Almulla, Mohamed Sulaiman, CEO, Dubai Media

Al Mufleh, Sami, Founder and CEO, Hills Advertising

Al Sahhaf, Ahmed, CEO, MBC Media Solutions (MMS)

Badreddine, Sharif, Chief Value Officer, IMI

Bicknell, James, Group CEO, Multiply Media Group (MMG)

Jomaa, Imad, CEO and Founder, JGroup

Megahed, Mohamed, Senior Vice President and Managing Director – Middle East, Africa and Turkey (MEA&T), Aleph

Nagro, Nezar, CEO, Rotana Media Services Holding

Wehbi, Habib, Founder, Chairman and Group CEO of W Group Holding (Hypermedia and AiOO)

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

AGENCIES

RAMZY ABOUCHACRA DESIGNATION: MENA Media Practice President, dentsu MENA YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 25 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: More than 20 years

bouchacra is the MENA Media Practice President at dentsu, leading the group’s media proposition across the region and overseeing Carat, iProspect and dentsu X. With more than two decades of experience in media and advertising, Abouchacra has built his career around growing businesses, developing talent and helping brands navigate constant change in the media landscape. His focus at dentsu is on moving media beyond the traditional agency model by bringing together strategy, media, data, technology, commerce and performance around measurable business outcomes. He has championed the adoption of AI and automation alongside new capabilities spanning audience intelligence, search, retail media, connected TV, attention measurement and data-driven OOH planning.

RAPID FIRE One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Stop confusing complexity with sophistication. We need to simplify media around what drives business growth and become more accountable for outcomes, not outputs. One point of focus for 2026 within your organisation Moving from AI experimentation to AI-native ways of working. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Decisiveness. You will rarely have 100 per cent of the information you want. Words of advice to young leaders Don’t optimise your career for titles. Optimise it for learning, responsibility and exposure to difficult problems. One advertisement that you enjoyed in the past 12 months It wasn’t an ad. It was Norway’s ‘Row’ at the World Cup. I loved how it took the world by storm, turned a team into a global talking point and got people everywhere cheering for them. One thing you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months I have unlearnt that experience automatically makes you better at predicting what comes next.

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

ABEER ALESSA DESIGNATION: Co-Founder, Group CEO and Chair, The Bold Group YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 20 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 20 years OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: Board Member, Al Arabia OOH; Vice President, National Committee for

Advertising, Federation of Saudi Chambers

lessa is the Co-Founder, Group CEO and Chairman of The Bold Group, an independent Saudi creative and communications group she started in 2011. Over two decades in the industry, she has grown Bold from a Saudi creative boutique into a multidisciplinary group spanning creative, branding, customer experience, PR and influence, production and product design. Her role has evolved alongside the business, building the leadership, governance and capabilities needed to take the group into its next phase. Alessa also serves on the board of Al Arabia OOH and holds leadership and advisory roles within Saudi Arabia’s advertising and creative industry. She was named one of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 in 2023.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Zero to One by Peter Thiel. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority How we define and capture value. Agency economics are still too tied to time and headcount, rather than the thinking, judgement and outcomes. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Evolving Bold to put results and value for brands at the centre of what we do, while building the capabilities and technology to strengthen what we can deliver. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Humility. Knowing what you don’t know, recognising that success is never yours alone, and owning your part when things go wrong. Words of advice to young leaders Stay curious. Passion gets you started, but curiosity keeps you growing. Never let success convince you that you know enough. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Vaseline Verified”. I loved that it started with something people were already doing, rather than something the brand created, and turned that behaviour into the idea itself. One thing you’ve learnt in the past 12 months I’ve learnt to see uncertainty differently. Opportunity becomes easier to recognise when you know your strengths, trust your capabilities, and stay focused on where you want to go.

October 2026

AGENCIES

RAYAN ALTUAYMI DESIGNATION: CEO, Foaj Group YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than

12 years

YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

More than 12 years

OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: Founder, Tact

ltuaymi is the CEO of Foaj Group, a Saudi marketing and communications group bringing together 12 specialised companies. Foaj has more than 850 professionals, has worked with more than 600 clients, and delivered more than 750 projects. Altuaymi is now focused on preparing Foaj for its next chapter, strengthening the way the group operates, building stronger governance, and leading its IPO readiness journey.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Building more Saudi-grown capabilities that can compete globally. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Building a stronger institution without losing the entrepreneurial spirit that got us here. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Trust. Give good people ownership and the space to lead. Words of advice to young leaders Don’t wait until you feel completely ready. Take responsibility early and learn as you go. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Can I Get a Six-Pack Quickly?” by Claude. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Growth isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes the hardest part of scaling is deciding what not to do.

THE MENA POWER LIST

AGENCIES

LARA ARBID DESIGNATION: CEO of Initiative MENAT

and Magna

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 19 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

19 years

OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: MCN

Executive Committee Member

rbid, CEO of Initiative MENAT and Magna, is one of the region’s most influential media leaders, with nearly two decades of leadership. She led Magna’s expansion into Saudi Arabia, becoming the first woman to head a media office in Riyadh and grow the business to profitability within three months. Having driven double-digit growth for three consecutive years, her impact extends to the leaders she has developed, the cultures she has built, and the precedent she has set for the next generation of talent.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Creativity. Precision without a great idea is just efficient mediocrity. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation The craft of strategic thinking and media planning. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Emotional consistency paired with relentless motivation. Words of advice to young leaders Speak up, trust your instincts and lead with passion. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Rip The Script” by Nike. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months I learnt that protecting thinking time matters as much as being in every room.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

AVISHESHA BHOJANI TITLE: Group CEO COMPANY: BPG Group YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 45 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: More than

38 years

OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: Managing Director,

Innoventures Education; General Partner, AMEA Ventures; Chairman, International Management Ventures; and Founder and CEO, Interface Communications India.

hojani’s career spans more than 45 years in marketing services, media, education, private equity, direct real estate investments and government sectors. At the helm of the BPG Group, which is minority-owned by WPP, since 1991, he is a multi-tasker driven by innovation who has assisted in the conceptualisation and execution of some strategic Dubai initiatives such as the Dubai Quality Award and Dubai Shopping Festival. He has served the Government of Dubai while assisting with the development of knowledge economy hubs in Dubai.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months It’s the first book I was told to read on my first day in Ogilvy Mumbai, and it’s called Obvious Adams. It is a book about an obviously ordinary man called Oliver Adams. I recently re-read it for the seventh time. It continues to inspire and define me. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Become more focused on client success. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Get everyone to think of solutions rather than ping-pong and passing the buck. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Humility that is inspiring. Words of advice to young leaders Focus on client wins, and you will win automatically. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months The ChatGPT Super Bowl 2026 ad, “The Intelligence Age”. One thing you’ve learnt in the past 12 months It’s all about customer experiences.

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

FOUAD BOU MANSOUR TITLE: CEO – Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) COMPANY: Burson YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: Nearly 30 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: Nearly 30 years

ouad Bou Mansour is a visionary communications leader renowned for his ability to guide transformative strategies and drive significant impact across complex markets. He delivers innovative 360-degree communications leadership, adeptly blending the science of data with the art of creativity at the executive level. His career demonstrates a consistent record of impact and strategic leadership, including more than seven years as a C-suite leader.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months I revisited a classic: The Trusted Advisor. Its message remains highly relevant: expertise may earn you a place at the table, but trust is what enables your counsel to travel beyond the room. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority We need to elevate communications from a service to a strategic business function – reputation, evidence-based counsel and real impact should live at the heart of executive decision-making. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Integrating AI-led intelligence with sharp human judgement to deliver measurable reputation and business impact. One quality essential to leadership Curiosity paired with humility. A willingness to keep learning, listen to different perspectives and create the conditions for others to lead. Words of advice to young leaders Be bold but stay authentic. Embrace technology without outsourcing your judgement or losing your human touch. And remember that leadership is ultimately about enabling others to succeed. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months The “KitKat Heist” from the UK. I loved how an atypical challenge was turned into an unmistakably KitKat moment. It triggered a huge wave of organic ads from more than 115 brands – and that’s how creativity builds relevance and reputation in real time. One thing you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months I’ve unlearnt the idea that leaders need to have all the answers. In a period of constant change, we all have a responsibility to stay curious, ask better questions and empower people to put their best foot forward.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

NASSIB BOUERI DESIGNATION: CEO of WPP Creative

MENA and WPP MENA RHQ YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 24 years

YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

27 years

oueri is the CEO of WPP Creative MENA and WPP MENA RHQ. Boueri has been at the helm of VML MENA for more than three years, and is an industry veteran with more than two decades of experience.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Protecting it. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Collaboration. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Resilience. Words of advice to young leaders Discipline. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Many. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Patience 2.0.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Last year, we delivered strong performance until regional conﬂict disrupted our momentum and tested our business. Yet through resilience, commitment and discipline, we navigated the uncertainty while protecting what matters most: our creative reputation. Maintaining the quality, relevance and recognition of our work despite challenging circumstances stands as one of our most important achievements and a testament to our people.

POWER ESSAY: THE DISCIPLINE OF MODERATION IN AN AGE OF EXCESS The central contradiction facing our industry is clear: we are being asked to create more value while being paid less for it. Clients expect greater effectiveness, faster delivery, deeper expertise and constant innovation, while procurement pushes fees downward. Agencies are simultaneously investing in AI, technology, talent and new capabilities. We are being asked to transform our businesses, absorb the cost and pass the resulting efficiencies on to clients. Too often, our response is simply to do more. We adopt the latest technology, expand into new services, follow emerging trends and promise greater output at lower cost. Some of this is necessary progress. But when investment is driven by competitive anxiety rather than commercial logic, growth can become a form of excess. We risk building agencies that are more sophisticated and productive, yet less profitable and less financially resilient over time. We are conditioned to believe that more is better. Yet beyond a certain point, more can undermine the things we seek. Moderation is not the opposite of ambition. It is what makes ambition sustainable. When more stops creating value More revenue does not necessarily mean a healthier company. More clients do not automatically mean stronger profitability. More capabilities can create complexity rather than differentiation, while more output can dilute rather than improve quality. Leadership should ask: Does this genuinely strengthen the business, or does it make us larger, busier or more fashionable? AI and the economics of transformation AI is one of the most significant transformations our industry has experienced. Its potential is enormous, from accelerating production to improving analysis and removing repetitive work. AI can free talented people to focus on strategy, creativity, judgement and more complex client problems. Yet it can also tempt us to confuse speed with quality and volume with value. Agencies must invest in technology, training, talent and new operating models, while clients increasingly expect AI to reduce costs immediately. If productivity gains are simply passed on as lower fees, agencies may become more efficient without becoming more profitable.

AI should create better outcomes and healthier economics – not simply accelerate the commoditisation of our services. Procurement and the cost of cutting costs Clients have legitimate reasons to demand efficiency, and procurement plays an important role. But there is a fundamental difference between eliminating waste and eliminating value. A cheaper agency is not necessarily a more effective agency. If relationships are evaluated primarily through rates, headcount and fee reductions, both sides can end up optimising for short-term savings while weakening the capabilities required for long-term success. Cost matters, but so do effectiveness, expertise and the ability to solve difficult business problems. The agency’s responsibility Agencies cannot place all responsibility on clients. We have contributed to the problem by repeatedly promising more capabilities, faster delivery and lower costs without adequately considering the economics. Every new trend can seem to require another department or specialist capability. Some investments are essential; others are unnecessary. Before following the next trend, leadership should ask: Does it create genuine competitive advantage? Will clients pay for it? Can it generate sustainable returns? Innovation without financial discipline is not a strategy. It is speculation. The value of enough Moderation does not mean reducing ambition. It means making deliberate choices about where to invest, where to simplify and where to say no. Our industry must continue to transform. But transformation should strengthen the business, not undermine its economics. AI will reshape our industry. Clients will continue to demand greater value. Procurement will continue to challenge costs. Our responsibility as leaders is to adapt without losing our identity, innovate without sacrificing financial discipline, and deliver value without destroying the economics that make that value possible. Moderation is not about doing less. It is about doing what matters, with greater purpose and discipline. In an age defined by excess, that may be the most important competitive advantage of all.

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

ELDA CHOUCAIR TITLE: CEO COMPANY: Omnicom Media MENA YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 26 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 26 years

houcair is CEO of Omnicom Media MENA, with more than 26 years of experience across the Middle East media industry. She is one of the region’s most senior media leaders and the only woman currently heading a major media holding group in MENA. A CEO for a decade and an agency leader for nearly two, Choucair took the helm at PHD in 2008 and grew the business sevenfold, earning the CEO title in 2016. In 2019, she moved into group management as Chief Operating Officer, and in 2021 was appointed CEO of Omnicom Media MENA, leading all of Omnicom Media’s brands and companies across 12 markets and 16 offices.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Born of This Land: My Life Story by Chung Ju-yung. It is one of the most inspiring autobiographies I’ve ever read. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Infrastructure over novelty. How we use AI, where human judgement fits into it, and how we manage costs while maintaining quality of service. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation People, people, people. Reorganising our talent to fit the new operating model built around connected capabilities, while nurturing future leaders. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Honesty, with yourself and with others, so we identify our limitations and barriers to progress as we continue to transform and operate in a volatile economy. Words of advice to young leaders Stay somewhere long enough to compound. Movement looks like progress and often isn’t. The value you build comes from depth: depth of relationships, of judgement and understanding of how something really works. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Uber Eats’ “Build Your Own Super Bowl”, which turned the app itself into the advertising platform in the week before the game. One thing that you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months I have unlearnt the long-range plan. I grew up in a discipline that rewarded three-year roadmaps, and this region no longer permits them. I’ve replaced it with scenario planning: holding several possible futures at once and building an organisation that can move between them without panic.

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

NADIM GHRAYEB DESIGNATION: CEO, LEO Gulf YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 22 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

Born and raised

hrayeb leads one of the region’s most influential creative businesses at the intersection of brand, culture and growth. With more than two decades of experience across agency and client environments, he brings a rare end-to-end perspective on how creativity can drive measurable business value. His career spans the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, where he has worked across complex, multi-market mandates and led integrated solutions that combine creativity, strategy, data, technology and execution.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Don’t forget to invest in talent. Technology is always evolving but good talent will always be the cornerstone of the business. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Embrace change and new points of view. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Be humble in your victories and losses. Words of advice to young leaders Embrace making mistakes because that’s how you learn. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months This is not so much one campaign as the social approach of Ryanair with both its content and its community managers. It has me wanting to try the airline to see if the same experience also extends into the service. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Just because something has been done one way for a long time doesn’t mean it has to continue operating that way.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

TAREK DAOUK DESIGNATION: CEO, dentsu MENAT, and President, Merkle SEMENAT YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 25 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: More than 25 years

ince joining dentsu in 2018, Daouk has focused on business turnaround, scaling growth and building operating models that help teams work more effectively across markets. With more than 25 years of experience, he works closely with clients to help them navigate disruption, make sharper decisions, and connect media, creative, data, and customer experience around clear business outcomes.

POWER ESSAY: THE MIDDLE EAST HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEFINE THE NEXT ERA OF GROWTH Periods of uncertainty often reveal where real value is created. Today, businesses are navigating pressure from multiple directions: geopolitical disruption, changing customer expectations and an AI-driven reset that is reshaping how they operate, compete and grow. For clients, the priority is not only to keep up with change, but also to make clearer choices and turn disruption into practical progress. Across the region, ambition, investment, talent and openness to new ways of working are creating momentum. Governments are reshaping economies, businesses are adapting their models, and consumers are embracing new experiences with speed and confidence. The region’s young population, growing entrepreneurial base, national transformation agendas and appetite for digital adoption are forming favourable conditions. This creates space for practical innovation to take hold, not as an abstract idea, but as a way to solve real business challenges. Momentum, however, needs discipline. Progress requires steady clarity. This means knowing what matters most, putting clear governance around decisions and having the courage to act before every signal is complete. Boldness is not recklessness; it is the ability to move thoughtfully when standing still feels safer. For our industry, that discipline matters because clients need both measurable results today and value that lasts. When signals are shifting and the path ahead is not fully clear, creativity, media, data and customer experience should work together around smarter decisions, practical action and sustainable business outcomes. AI is an important part of this shift, but it is useful only when it is connected to clear outcomes. The opportunity is not to use AI because it is new, but to apply it where it improves decision-making, productivity,

creativity, customer understanding and operational speed. The risk lies in treating it as a separate technology agenda. The better question is: where can it make work sharper, faster and more relevant for clients and teams? That same discipline is shaping how we are evolving at dentsu. We have had to make clearer choices about where we focus, how we support clients, and how our teams work together. This means staying close to business challenges, investing in our people and simplifying our operating model so we can move with more agility and impact. Our people remain central to this work. Technology can improve speed, intelligence, and efficiency, but people create trust, ask better questions and turn capability into impact. As AI changes the nature of work, the most valuable skills will be judgement, curiosity, resilience and the ability to connect insight with action. We want our teams to feel supported to experiment, adapt and lead through shifting conditions, while staying grounded in the commercial and human realities our clients face. For younger leaders, I would keep it practical: stay close to clients, understand what is changing in their business, ask better questions and build the courage to make clear decisions while the picture is still forming. As I look ahead, I remain optimistic. The Middle East is facing many of the same challenges and ambitions as the rest of the world: how to grow through shifting conditions, apply technology with purpose and build businesses that are more resilient and more human. What makes the region exciting is the opportunity to contribute to that progress with energy, talent, and pace. The opportunity is not simply to participate in the next era of growth, but to help define what responsible, ambitious, and human-centred growth can look like.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months How to Be Bold by Ranjay Gulati. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Giving equal weight to nearterm performance and outcomes that build over time. One point of focus for 2026 within your organisation Turning disruption into progress. In 2026, our focus is to help clients make clearer decisions and act faster on the issues that matter to their business. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Steady clarity. In uncertain conditions, leaders need to set direction, protect attention and give people confidence to act. Words of advice to young leaders Stay close to clients, understand what is changing in their business, ask better questions, and build the courage to decide while the picture is still taking shape. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Dear Difference” by Nikka Whisky. One thing you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Uncertain periods require both governance and courage. Governance helps teams move with discipline; courage gives them the confidence to act when not everything is clear.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR How we remained disciplined and clear-headed through a period of real uncertainty. Geopolitical tensions across the region created unforeseen pressure and ambiguity, while AI continued to reshape how we and our clients operate, compete and grow. Through this, we anchored ourselves around three priorities: helping clients solve immediate business challenges and navigate disruption; investing in our people so they can grow, adapt and lead; and simplifying our operating model so we can work faster and more eﬀectively across teams and markets.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

AMER EL HAJJ DESIGNATION: CEO, WPP Media MENA YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 22 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 24 years

RAPID FIRE

ith over two decades in the MENA media industry, Amer brings deep experience across operations, negotiation, and media investment strategy. His track record earned him the role of CEO at GroupM MENA, and subsequently CEO of WPP Media MENA, where he leads the region across 13 markets including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Levant, Qatar, Morocco and beyond.

POWER ESSAY: THE BIGGEST NUMBER NOBODY MANAGES Media is one of the biggest pots of money a company can freely decide how to spend. Unlike rent or salaries, leadership decides how much to spend and where; they can move it, cut it or double it overnight. It is a huge, controllable number. It is also the one they consider the least like an investment. That is the uncomfortable truth of our industry, and we don’t say it out loud often enough. There is also an important point for our industry to acknowledge. Clients treat media as a cost because we taught them to. For years we sold it as one – by the impression, by the spot and by the placement. Almost, by the kilo. We competed on who was cheapest, not on who returned the most. We measured ourselves by how much we bought, not by what it was worth. If media looks like a cost to be cut, it is partly because we handed clients the scissors. And squeezing media usually backfires. The cheapest cost-per-thousand-impressions is not the best outcome. Buying media cheaper often destroys the very return it was meant to protect. Cheaper media is not a saving. It is the most expensive mistake a marketer, a procurement lead or an auditor can make, because it looks good on a spreadsheet and quietly loses the market. Meanwhile, the buying itself is being automated. Placing the order, which was once a real part of the job, is fast becoming a machine task. If we focus only on transactions, we risk undervaluing the strategic value agencies can create. The value was never in placing the order. It is in the decision about where the money should go, why, and what it should return. That decision is the whole job. Everything else is being automated around it. So, what would it look like to treat media like an investment? An investor asks three questions of every dollar: what is the return?

What is the risk? What else could this money do? These are the questions WPP Media is uniquely placed to answer with the knowledge, experience and tools to turn media from a line item into a disciplined investment decision. This matters more in our region, not less. For all our growth, we still invest less in media, per person, than almost any mature market on earth. The United States spends more than $1,200 per head on advertising every year; the United Kingdom spends close to $900 per head. The Middle East spends a fraction of that. That gap is not a sign that media matters less here. It is a sign that we have priced it too cheaply and never made the case for what it is worth. Fast-growing markets are exactly where undisciplined money gets wasted. In a boom, even a bad investment looks good, so nobody asks if the money could have done more. That is precisely when discipline pays. None of this happens by playing it safe. It takes an ambitious agency, a brave one, willing to sit across from a client and tell them the truth: you cannot buy results cheaply, and you certainly cannot automate them. The easy path is to nod, quote a lower price and keep the client comfortable. The braver path is to say the uncomfortable thing, and to mean it. That is the difference between a supplier and a partner. Let me say plainly what “media investment” is supposed to mean, and too rarely does: our job is not only to buy media; it is to invest our clients’ money better than anyone else can, and to be paid for the business outcome, not just effort. The responsibility to advance this shift starts with us: we price media as an investment first and bring clients with us. Media is not a cost to be minimised. It is capital to be optimised. That is the shift that matters – not in the tools, but in the money.

Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Pricing on value, not volume. The industry still sells media by the unit, not the outcome. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Retaining and protecting the talent that built us. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Composure – especially when everything around is anything but. Words of advice to young leaders Be patient; rushing does more harm than good. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “The PIF Effect” – a fantastic docuseries created by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Not every battle is worth showing up to.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR This wasn’t a win or an award; it was a launch. One of our clients was bringing a new brand to market, and the pressure was real on both sides. What I’ll remember is how we worked. The client showed up as a true partner – with patience, empathy and support for our team, even in the hardest moments. And our people met it with the same determination. Together, under real pressure, we delivered. Everyone who watched it saw what that partnership was: a reminder of how the relationship between an agency and its client is supposed to work.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

JENNIFER FISCHER DESIGNATION: Chief Innovation and Growth Officer, Publicis Groupe MENA YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 20 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 18 years

ischer is Chief Innovation and Growth Officer at Publicis Groupe MENA, where she drives cross-disciplinary collaboration across more than 17 agencies and more than 3,600 talents, uniting creativity, data, technology and media to shape the next chapter of growth for brands and the industry at large.

POWER ESSAY: WHAT A 100-YEAROLD INDUSTRY CAN LEARN FROM 250 MILLION YEARS OF EVOLUTION Modern advertising is about a century old. Evolution has been running the same experiment called “what survives change?” for 250 million years, and it has notes for us. Lesson one: size is not resilience – The PermianTriassic extinction, 252 million years ago, remains the worst thing that ever happened to life on Earth. Around 90 per cent of all species vanished. Then, 66 million years ago, a meteorite ended the dinosaurs. In both cases, the same pattern held: the dominant rarely made it. The survivors were the small, the odd and the adaptable – the species nobody would have bet on. The lesson isn’t that being big is bad. It’s that being big and brittle is a fatal combination. Our industry is currently running a live experiment on this exact question. Some are betting that the answer is scale – that if you become the biggest thing in the room, you win. But if your model leans on one revenue stream, one client type and one way of making money, then you’re built for the last disruption, not the next one. Dominance feels like safety. It’s often just a larger target. Lesson two: evolution rewards optionality: Meet the archosaurs. After the Great Dying, this unglamorous group fathered dinosaurs, crocodiles, pterosaurs and birds. They didn’t survive by being the best at one thing. They kept their options open, evolving to move on land, take to the sky and work the water. They were, in effect, an evolutionary operating system: a platform for many possible futures. That’s the model for an agency group worth its name. Not one capability defended to the death, but genuine range across creativity, media, technology, culture and sport, and the appetite to keep experimenting at the edges. The same is true for talent. The people who thrive will have optionality built in. Lesson three: cooperation is the real superpower: Here’s the humbling maths. Dinosaurs ruled for roughly 165 million years. Homo sapiens have been around for about 300,000. If the reign of dinosaurs were a 24-hour day, our entire existence is the last three minutes. We never shared the planet with them and didn’t outlast them. Yet in that sliver of time,

we reshaped the world more than any species before us – and not because we were faster or stronger, but because we could act as a “we”. Cooperation is humanity’s greatest adaptation. Language, myth, money, law, companies and brands – these are all coordination technologies. They let strangers share an intention and build what none of us could alone. That’s not a soft skill; it’s the hard infrastructure of everything we’ve made. In an industry obsessed with individual genius, our collective intelligence is the asset we most consistently underrate. Lesson four: the fear is part of the deal: So far, the witnesses have been millions of years old. Let’s move to barely 2,500 years ago. In Plato’s Phaedrus, Socrates warns that a new technology, writing (yes, writing), will rot our memories and make us stupid. This is just one example, but across history, the fear of the new repeats again and again. Even refrigerators made people scared of “artificial ice”. So the current panic about AI is not a glitch. It is the process. It is how we absorb change and how – through thousands of small edits and cumulative, experimental, messy changes – one day, you’re a different species and can’t quite say when it happened. Which brings me to what we actually need from leaders: not someone with a single, fixed vision to march everyone toward. That’s a bet on the world standing still, and it won’t. We need people who can help us navigate permanent transformation. There’s something special about working inside an organisation born in a small Paris office in 1926, one that has turned 100 and survived war, fire, television, the internet and every reinvention the last century could throw at it. It reached its centenary not by being the biggest, but by being ready, again and again, to become something new. That is not a legacy you relax into. It’s a standard you live up to. So, the task isn’t to guess the future correctly. It’s to become the kind of industry, and the kind of leaders, that can meet any future: adaptable, cooperative and brave enough to stay a little afraid. That is what evolution has been teaching all along – not how to survive, but how to keep becoming.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months It opens with: “I open my eyes and don’t know where I am or who I am.” Andre Agassi tells his story beautifully, narrating the psychology of tennis and the reality of physical and mental exhaustion. Read Open: An Autobiography. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority: Fewer promises, more proof. The tech-ification of advertising pulls us towards hype. Our job is to resist that gravity and ship real solutions. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Foresight, building the muscle to explore potential futures rather than simply reacting to the present one. One quality essential to leadership Care. Backed by consistency. Words of advice to young leaders Lean into your fears. More often than not, they point at exactly what you need to do to grow. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Trade Republic’s World Cup spot in France: “This is Brad Pitt. And now that I have your attention, here are three benefits of Trade Republic…” One thing that you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months The idea that what you’ve learnt has to be immediately useful.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR A brilliant team that inspired me every day, winning Best New Business Team and partnering to put seven companies on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list. Together we launched the Resilience Business Pulse at the height of geopolitical uncertainty, interviewing leaders across the region; ran the third edition of Growth Club; delivered LionX sprints with brands such as Visa; launched VivaTech Trends; brought Youth Studio to life; processed and supported hundreds of pitches; and kicked oﬀ Atelier Potentialis and Publicis Groupe’s Foresight stream. A year of building, not promising, and doing it with joy. My thanks to Publicis Groupe and Bassel Kakish for the space to build things that matter.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

NATHALIE GEVRESSE DESIGNATION: CEO, Publicis Communications Gulf YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 30 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 15 years

RAPID FIRE

evresse brings three decades of international and regional experience across agency leadership and clientside marketing. Since joining Publicis Groupe in 2022 as CEO of Publicis Communications UAE, comprising Saatchi & Saatchi and Publicis Worldwide, she has reshaped the creative arm into a more agile, integrated and high-performing partner for clients and for the Groupe. She now oversees the broader Gulf region.

Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Cultivate deep subcultural nuances.

POWER ESSAY: CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT

One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Talent – still and always.

building on loyal communities seeking authenticity and trust, creators are turning cultural influence into long-term commercial value. Currency 3: Inhabiting a brand’s universe – Physical experiences turn scarcity into memory, making moments more distinctive, resilient and difficult to replicate. They build emotional connection through participation, authenticity and shareability. Because experience is created through human, tactile encounters, it remains intentionally difficult to scale. Yet its impact can extend well beyond the moment itself. Today, trust is increasingly earned through presence. Dwell time and loyalty are becoming new measures of value. Experience is a testing ground that keeps customers engaged for longer, turning transactional retail into a destination that builds memory. To attract and connect, brands must earn cultural relevance – even when that means moving beyond their traditional areas of expertise. Currency 4: Distinctiveness – For years, the industry has raced to prove who is fastest, most agile and quickest to ship or adapt. That race is ending. Soon, everyone will have access to much the same speed and many of the same tools. When every agency runs similar models on similar data, agility becomes the baseline, not the advantage. The advantage will be distinctiveness, precisely what AI cannot originate. AI reproduces patterns, templates and the well-worn. Sometimes not even the best of them. When everything is generated from the same patterns, execution may vary, but very little truly emerges. This is where human creativity and imagination make the difference between a brand people scroll past and one they carry with them. And at the centre comes the talent required to create it: conceptual art directors and copywriters grounded in empathy and instinct; creative technologists who build digital experiences in service of human-centred stories; and cultural anthropologists who can read community dynamics, identify cultures within cultures, and connect the dots across art, culture and behaviour. Change will remain the only constant. The technologies will evolve, the players will shift and new currencies will emerge. Our opportunity is not simply to keep pace, but to keep changing without losing the human intelligence, imagination and cultural understanding that give our industry its value in the first place.

One quality you believe is essential to leadership Empathy.

Every industry believes, at some point, that it has reached its final form. Advertising has believed this more than most and has been wrong every time. “This is the end of...” has been declared countless times. Print gave way to broadcast, broadcast to digital, and digital is now giving way to something harder to define: a world where creators, platforms, brands and products merge into one continuous act of building trust. Destabilising? Not really. Change is not a threat to strategy. It is the only strategy that has consistently worked in our industry. What is interesting is where value, influence and advantage will sit next. Four emerging currencies are reshaping our industry: how we think, who holds influence, where trust is built and what will make brands distinctive when everyone has access to the same tools. Currency 1: The elephant in the room: AI – Yes, artificial intelligence is now integral to how we work, bringing speed and agility. But it must arrive at the right moment, with the right intention, and never first. If AI opens the door, it also chooses the room. It hands you a path that locks quietly behind you, because a machine that starts the thinking has already narrowed what the thinking can become. Emotion, creativity, empathy and human intelligence must be the starting point, not the finishing touch. AI is a companion, not an author. It can take an idea further and faster once the idea exists, not before. But AI can also become the new Galactus, the Marvel force powerful enough to consume entire worlds: expansive, transformative and in need of stronger governance. Its use requires tighter controls, new oversight models and clearly defined roles and responsibilities across both the agency ecosystem and the broader marketing function. Currency 2: New players, new rules – The experts once hidden behind the label of “content creator” or “influencer” are becoming central players in the marketing ecosystem. For years, brands rented audiences campaign by campaign. That model is fading. Today’s leading creators are becoming IP brands in their own right. They own worlds, product lines, beverage brands, physical retail and studios. Increasingly, they compete with the consumerpackaged goods (CPG) companies that once hired them because they possess something no media plan can buy: direct equity with an audience. Their production companies – leaner and culturally fluent – now compete with traditional agencies for budgets. By

Words of advice to young leaders Never stop learning. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Three Words” by AXA France. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months To be more patient.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Our transformative new chapter in Saudi Arabia. Publicis Communications Gulf accelerated a transformative leap in the Kingdom through a dual approach: human intelligence rooted in deep Saudi cultural insight, paired with AI-driven transformation in partnership with HUMAIN. One brought human truth and authenticity, reading the nuance, the context and the identity that only local understanding can capture. The other brought scale and speed, reimagining creative disciplines through intelligent technology. Together, we reshaped our ways of working and built a hybrid talent model – proof that culture and code, insight and innovation, move furthest when they move as one.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

GHASSAN HARFOUCHE DESIGNATION: Group CEO, MCN MENAT YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 40 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

40 years

arfouche is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned leader with more than four decades of global and regional experience across marketing, communications and media. Under his leadership, the group has grown into an agile, inclusive and future-fit partner to more than 2,000 clients across sectors including FMCG, retail, finance, tech, energy, real estate, telecoms, aviation, automotive and government.

POWER ESSAY: THE POWER BEYOND THE LIST There is no doubt that recognition feels good. After all, our industry loves a list. But the word “power” is an interesting one because its definition can be both objective and subjective. What does power really mean, and how should we choose to use it? Power is usually associated with status, control, politics or authority – and we often see it play out through conflict, aggression and geopolitical tension. Yet power can also create change, open minds, build confidence and move people towards something better. By that definition, the marcomms industry may be one of the most powerful industries in the world.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Act together. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Supporting our people through uncertainties. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Trust. Words of advice to young leaders Continue to believe in their potential and the potential of the Middle East region. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “The Thousand Sponsors for Muni” by McCANN Lima One thing that you’ve unlearnt and learnt in the past 12 months Unlearnt: How to plan for the week. Learnt: Embrace the unexpected.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR First-ever Gold Lion for the FP7 McCANN Dubai oﬃce, which won the MENA Network of the Year at Cannes Lions 2026.

Every day, the ideas we create reach millions of people. They influence what people

“We are more than an

industry serving brands. We are also ambassadors for this region. The work we produce travels. It shapes perceptions.” notice, what they discuss, what they believe in, and how they see one another. A single piece of work can challenge a stereotype, launch a conversation, bring a fresh perspective to an issue, or help someone imagine a future they had not previously thought possible. Campaigns can help grow businesses and create jobs that contribute to economic prosperity. That is real power. But it also comes with real responsibility. We are living through a period when conflict feels ever-present in our region. Uncertainty has become part of everyday life and fear can easily become the main lens through which people view the Middle East. As

someone who was born into a region already familiar with war, I have seen how quickly people and places can be reduced to the headlines around them. Yet I have also seen the positive role our industry can play in challenging those perceptions and bringing people closer together. Through creativity and communication, we can bridge cultural differences, give people and communities a voice, see the world from another vantage point, and find common ground. Our responsibility is to use that ability well: to tell stories that are rooted in the truth and reflect the culture, generosity, ambition and soul of this region. In doing so, we can give the rest of the world a more accurate and honest picture of who we are and where we are headed. In that sense, we are more than an industry serving brands. We are also ambassadors for this region. The work we produce travels. It shapes perceptions. It can replace distance with understanding, and fear with curiosity. It can show the world who we are in our own voice, rather than allowing others to define us. Which brings me to my point: a power list should represent more than recognition. It should be an invitation to act – bringing agencies and clients, leaders and young talent, creativity and technology, business and culture together around a shared purpose. We can use our influence to uphold truth, carry our heritage forward and make creativity a force for positive change. So, my invitation is simple: let us use our voices responsibly and play an active part in building an industry that the next generation will be proud to inherit. Our greatest strength lies not in any one of us, but in what we can make possible together. This is what the Power List means to me: power that creates progress and positive impact, not power as a collection of titles or individual successes. At a time like this, the true measure of power is not how much of it we hold but what we choose to do with it – and that’s the larger purpose it serves.

October 2026

AGENCIES

AHMAD HAIDAR DESIGNATION: Managing Director,

dentsu KSA

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than

20 years

YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

More than 20 years

aidar has spent more than two decades in the media, marketing and communications industry, with Saudi Arabia at the heart of most of that journey. He is passionate about creativity, innovation and developing people, and about continuing to build a business that stays relevant to its clients and aligned with where Saudi Arabia is heading.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Being more accountable for real business outcomes, not just communication outcomes. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Turning the scale and capabilities we have built into greater impact for our clients. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Trust. Words of advice to young leaders Invest in people. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Rexona’s “It Won’t Let You Down”. One thing you’ve learnt in the past 12 months I’ve learnt that leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about asking the right questions.

THE MENA POWER LIST

AGENCIES

MOUNIR HARFOUCHE DESIGNATION: CEO,

MullenLowe MENA

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than

25 years

YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

More than 40 years

s the CEO of MullenLowe MENA, Harfouche leads the agency across four offices to create and implement award-winning projects that have consistently met and exceeded client objectives. He is globally recognised for transformational creative and strategic programmes, as well as successful creative integration. Harfouche is known for his creative thinking, leadership, business and strategic vision, as well as an entrepreneurial spirit.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Infinity Machine by Sebastian Mallaby. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Bring back the joy. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Confidence and forward-thinking. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Great leadership is the ability to adapt the right qualities to the right context. Words of advice to young leaders Talent is essential, but so is experience. One strengthens the other. One thing you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months That a comfort zone exists. One thing you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Adaptability and resilience keep you moving forward.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

AGENCIES

ZIAD HASBANI DESIGNATION: Regional CEO, Weber Shandwick MENAT YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 30 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: More than 30 years

asbani currently heads the MENAT operations of Weber Shandwick, Jack Morton and Current Global. In addition to his regional management role, he is involved in advising key clients, C-suite executives and corporate boards. His client experience includes First Abu Dhabi Bank, Qatar National Bank, Etisalat/e&, Saudi Telecom Company (stc), Mastercard, Media City Qatar, McDonald’s, the Ministry of Finance of the UAE, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation and the Saudi Fund for Development, among many others.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Crisis of Narration by ByungChul Han. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Bigger focus on measuring impact and connecting it to business results, rather than measuring activity. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Keep expanding space for our talent to deliver more high-impact, strategic and creative work by automating routine tasks. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Adaptability. Words of advice to young leaders Stay curious, keep learning and focus on identifying the future possibilities of people, opportunities and ideas. Don’t only fixate on what you see now. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Claude’s “How can I communicate better with my mom”. Entertaining and funny; a great way to combine a relatable scenario with a sharp, humorous twist to differentiate itself from a competitive product. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Adaptability keeps you relevant, but versatility makes you valuable.

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

RAMI HMADEH DESIGNATION: Managing Partner, Serviceplan Group Middle East YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 24 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 24 years

madeh is Managing Partner at Serviceplan Group Middle East,leading Serviceplan Arabia in Saudi Arabia and Serviceplan Experience in the UAE, with operations across Dubai, Jeddah and Riyadh. Based in the UAE since 2002, he brings 24 years of experience in the industry, the first eight of them in consultancy, before moving into advertising, building and scaling agency businesses regionally. He is also spearheading House of AI, Serviceplan’s rebuild of the agency operating model around AI: a bet that rebuilding now beats retrofitting later. Off the clock, he’s an unapologetic coffee aficionado, happier discussing roast profiles than spreadsheets.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Wager by David Grann. It’s more honest about decisionmaking under pressure than most business books tend to be. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Procurement-led pitching. Too many briefs now ask agencies to commit resources and compete before there is any real commercial commitment. It erodes the quality of the work and the sustainability of the agencies producing it. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Making AI a genuine operating capability rather than a bolt-on. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Clarity under pressure. Teams don’t need constant reassurance; they need a leader who will make the hard call and own it. Words of advice to young leaders Don’t wait for permission to have an opinion. The industry rewards people who can say something and stand behind it, not people who wait to be told what to think. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Sheep Happens” for PENNY. More than fifty sheep wandered into a supermarket in Bavaria, and instead of managing it as a PR problem, PENNY leaned into it in real time. It became a creator-led story that drove real revenue and ended with the brand adopting the entire flock. One thing you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months Unlearnt the idea that AI adoption is a tools problem. It’s a change-management problem. The technology is the easy part; getting people to trust and use it well is the actual work.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

AHMAD ITANI DESIGNATION: Founder and Chief Advisor,

Cicero & Bernay

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 27 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 50 years OTHER ROLES/BOARD MEMBERSHIPS: Chair, PRCA

MENA Advisory Board; Principal, RAIYN Global

ounder and Chief Advisor of Cicero & Bernay, Itani has spent more than 25 years helping organisations across the Middle East understand reputation as a strategic leadership asset. Since establishing C&B in 2005, he has led its evolution into one of the region’s most respected communication advisory firms, with a presence in 35 countries and an approach grounded in accountability, informed by context.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Staring at the Sun by Irvin D. Yalom. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Work ethic. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Culture – always. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Integrity. Words of advice to young leaders Patience. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Adidas’ “Backyard Legends” made global scale feel local and human. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months The importance of always giving people the benefit of the doubt.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Culture has always been central to how we build forward. Our continued investment in it stands out to me over the past year. As we grow, I want our people to feel the same sense of belonging and shared purpose that has shaped us from the beginning. A strong culture takes consistent care, and each year brings opportunities to deepen it.

POWER ESSAY: TECHNOLOGY MOVES FAST. REPUTATION DECIDES WHAT LASTS. I once watched a team use a simple data signal to spot a concern before it became a crisis. Within hours, they had moved from reacting to listening and from defending a position to opening a conversation. The response acknowledged what people were experiencing, explained what the organisation knew and did not yet know, and set out the steps being taken to address the concern. People were more willing to engage because they could see that their concerns had been heard rather than managed. But the technology did not create or accelerate the trust that made that conversation possible. What it did was help the organisation recognise where trust needed attention, and it gave leaders enough time to respond with care. Beyond that, the signal’s intrinsic value lay in what the team chose to do with it: move from defending a position to opening a conversation. The promise du jour – although it would be more apt to call it the promise de l’année – is the ability of AI to create content in seconds and data platforms’ potential to map sentiment across millions of conversations, granting teams greater reach and analysis. However, while each capability offers efficiency, together they offer something more powerful: the chance to understand people more deeply and respond with greater purpose. Consider this: viewed from a broader industry perspective that oversees the industry, contemporary technology exists in a world already defined by memory and expectation; a faster response still bears the weight of the organisation behind it, just as a personalised message still reflects the values that guided its creation. Technology may indeed widen the horizon of communication, but it is reputation that will determine whether people will believe or adopt what they see, hear or feel. I recently ruminated on this in my Substack, The Reputation Economy: the more closely we examine how organisations grow, compete and endure, the more apparent it becomes that reputation is no longer what follows

performance, but what makes performance possible. Setting aside the inevitable outcome, before we address the impact of technological integration, we must ask ourselves a number of relevant questions, chief among them a tool’s effect on trust: how will it improve the quality of a decision, and how will it strengthen the relationship between an organisation and the people it serves? The communication industry has spent years discussing artificial intelligence as a production tool, but its greater value resides in its ability to improve judgement. After all, used thoughtfully, data can show leaders how different audiences interpret the same decision, but only advisers can connect the signals to guide the appropriate action or reaction. Across the region, organisations are adopting new systems during a period of extraordinary transformation, with expectations rising as audiences experience institutions across more touchpoints than ever. In this environment, technological integration becomes part of reputation management itself: every automated interaction contributes to the story people form about competence and care. At Cicero & Bernay, and through our wider work across RAIYN Global, we see the strongest results when intelligence enhances expertise. Technology helps teams listen at scale and act with greater precision, while human judgement keeps progress aligned with trust. The future will ultimately belong, as always, to organisations that use technology to move with greater intent. Similarly, the most trusted leaders will be those who turn intelligence into understanding and understanding into service. I think back to the first time a new tool seemed to promise a different kind of future. The excitement was real, but so was the question that followed: what would we choose to do with it? That question remains the one that matters. Technology will continue to evolve, but reputation will remember the choices made with it.

“The most

trusted leaders will be those who turn intelligence into understanding and understanding into service.”

October 2026

AGENCIES

MAZEN JAWAD DESIGNATION: CEO, Horizon Holdings YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 32 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

29 years

ith 32 years of leadership across continents, Jawad has built a career at the intersection of creativity, business transformation and growth. His journey with Horizon Holdings – which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026 – and Horizon FCB/FCB has taken him through Beirut, Jeddah, Chicago, Athens, and Dubai, where he has been based since 2001. As CEO, Mazen leads a diverse group of communication and creative companies, including Horizon FCB, FrontlineBPN, GolinKetchum, Blue Barracuda, and FuelContent – all part of Omnicom.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life by Morgan Housel. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Integrity. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Protect our people. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Integrity. Words of advice to young leaders Listen. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “The Un-dropped Kit” by ASICS. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months How fun a dad-daughter holiday trip can be.

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

GHASSAN KASSABJI DESIGNATION: CEO, Impact BBDO Group Dubai, and Chief Growth Officer, Impact BBDO MENA YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 25 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: More than 30 years

assabji works from a single conviction: bold creativity is a growth engine. Over 25 years across the US and the MENA region, he has built and grown agencies, led global brands through digital transformation and delivered work that holds up to scrutiny. His portfolio spans destination and nation branding, telecoms, retail, entertainment and food service, and includes recognitions such as Agency of the Year at Dubai Lynx and the most awarded MENA agency at Cannes.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Good to Great by Jim Collins – a reread off the shelf. One lesson above all: quiet, humble leaders build the enduring companies. Not the loud ones. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Kill the billable hour. Price the value of the idea and what it delivers, not the hours behind it. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Staying close to our clients. Being in the business and growth conversations. Doing big things – ideas that deliver real business results. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Be the best listener, not the loudest voice. You lead by hearing people, not by being heard. Words of advice to young leaders Get out of your comfort zone and start building your own brand. Your reputation is the one asset you keep with you. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Lime’s “Good Service on All Limes” during the London Tube strike. One pun, perfectly timed, and a 50 per cent lift in rides. Wit that paid. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Cut through the AI noise. Everyone’s chasing the newest tool, but what matters is knowing which ones actually help you achieve your objectives.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

SUNIL JOHN DESIGNATION: Senior Advisor, MENA, Stagwell YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 30 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: More than 30 years

ohn heads Stagwell’s MENA office with a focus on spearheading regional growth, exploring strategic acquisitions and enhancing collaboration among local and global agencies in the network. Since joining Stagwell in 2024, John has supported a leadership transition at Assembly Global MENA, besides building a more integrated Stagwell offering in the region post the acquisition of Consulum and Create.Group.

POWER ESSAY: WHY WE MUST PROTECT HUMAN CREATIVITY IN THE AGE OF AI The rules of digital engagement have changed, challenging the role that human creativity once played in setting strategy, shaping messages, building campaigns and telling stories that connect with audiences. Social media disrupted how we tell stories. Artificial intelligence has gone further, flattening the playing field. Large language models (LLMs) can search archives, imitate styles, create compelling visuals, recommend channels and strategic approaches, replace a thousand Google searches and even produce complete pitch decks. Clients are impressed; agency leaders see efficiencies; and the work gets delivered with fewer people. So where does human creativity belong? The AI transformation is irreversible, and we should embrace it. Used well, AI creates opportunities to optimise workflows and remove repetitive work. Its best role is to free communications professionals to focus on what matters: telling authentic stories, exploring unfamiliar territory and seeing challenges from a fresh perspective. That is where we can offer clients genuine value rather than more generic content. What we risk losing Amid the pursuit of vanity metrics and complaints about clients constraining creativity, our work is becoming increasingly uniform. To rise above the noise, we must challenge the prevailing AI-led approach and rediscover the power of storytelling. The Middle East is unlocking enormous opportunities despite the challenges posed by ongoing regional conflict. It needs stories that can engage

many different audiences. When everyone can produce content at scale, everyone starts to sound the same. Human-led creativity becomes more valuable, not less. At a time when many audiences are turning away from long reads in favour of Instagram Reels and bite-sized videos, we must reclaim marketing as an engine for authentic, creative communication. AI can generate stories, but it is not a storyteller with a heart or mind of its own. It draws on existing knowledge and content, repackaging them in whatever style we request. Unless people continue to create original work, the LLMs of the future will simply recirculate what has already been said. Ultimately, the channel or format matters less than the strength of the idea. For years, the industry was divided into advertising, media, PR, digital, social and influencer marketing. AI is accelerating their integration. This gives us an opportunity to build marketing programmes shaped by human instinct and judgement, using AI as a tool rather than allowing its output to define the work. The region’s advantage Our task is not to restore those old divisions. It is to use this integrated environment to become better storytellers, especially in a region with a deep and proud storytelling tradition. That means we must see ourselves not simply as digital evangelists or AI specialists, but as original storytellers who can shift perceptions, build trust and create the source material on which the next generation of LLMs will depend. AI may change how we work, but human creativity must continue to decide what is worth saying.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Building genuine digital and AI capability rather than bolting it on. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Deepening integration across Stagwell’s MENA agency network and widening the offering by further building the strategic CRM and loyalty agency GALE; research brand HarrisX; AI-based influencer marketing agency IM.AI; as well as boutique creative agencies 72andSunny, Anomaly and Forsman & Bodenfors. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Staying focused on innovation and business impact for clients and employee motivation. Words of advice to young leaders Stay curious, read more and doomscroll less. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Nike’s “Rip the Script”. One thing that you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months The notion that size matters. We are witnessing the restructuring of global holding companies, some of which boasted a global employee base of more than 100,000. What matters in this digital era is a combination of human creativity and technology prowess.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR 2025 was a record year of growth in the Middle East for Stagwell. Adding to the strong omnichannel media agency Assembly Global MENA, Stagwell integrated two acquisitions within the regional oﬀering – strategic communications consultancy Consulum and digital communications company Create. Group. Today, Stagwell has three operating companies in the region, nearly 600 employees in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and it is considered an integrated regional network of signiﬁcance. Stagwell prides itself to be in the Goldilocks territory – neither too small nor too big to serve clients with local, regional and global ambitions.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

BASSEL KAKISH DESIGNATION: CEO, Publicis Groupe

Middle East & Turkey

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 24 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

Born and raised

akish leads more than 3,600 talents across creative communications, connected media and business transformation. Having been at Publicis Groupe for more than 24 years, he has held several positions within the regional leadership team, including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Integration Officer, and coManaging Director of Publicis Sapient in the Middle East before taking over as CEO for Publicis Groupe ME&T.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Grit: The Power of Passion & Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation AI enablement and governance. Words of advice to young leaders Stay curious. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Knowing you are an enabler, not the answer. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority How we account for talent. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months The 2026 Working with Cancer campaign by Publicis Groupe, which introduced an AI-powered coach to support more than 40 million workers across 5,000 member organisations. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months How to build agents.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Convening more than 600 leaders in Abu Dhabi for The Majlis of Possible to discuss the forces shaping the future of all our businesses. Those conversations mean more than ever in today’s reality. It also marked Publicis Groupe’s centenary, and a hundred years of transformation.

POWER ESSAY: SHOW ME THE TALENT The 1996 film Jerry Maguire is most remembered for one line about money. But it’s really a film about a memo. A sports agent cannot sleep, so at two in the morning he writes down what has gone wrong with his industry: the agency has taken on more clients than it can look after properly. Everybody knows it. Nobody says it. His answer is fewer clients, less money, and proper attention paid to each one. He hands the memo out, gets a standing ovation, and is fired within the month. The first two are why he was fired. The third is why he was right, and almost 30 years later, business economics have caught up with him. So here is Jerry’s memo, rewritten. Memorandum To: Every leader From: Bassel Kakish Re: The future of our business: what we are actually selling We all have access to broadly the same technology now. The compute is rentable, and whatever advantage a platform gives us this quarter is gone by the next. Volume costs almost nothing to produce, and anything that costs nothing stops being worth paying for. What stays scarce is attention – to a client’s business and to the talent doing the work. Which is the thing we do not say often enough. We are in the business of talent. Literally. Clients pay us for our talent. But businesses often claim people are their greatest asset and then account for them as an expense, somewhere between the rent and the electricity. Analysts do the same. They count the machinery, the buildings and the assets, and our people show up as a cost. Arthur Sadoun addressed that this year, saying Publicis Groupe “won’t squeeze to please Wall Street” and that “the first value of our industry is people”. Anyone can say people come first in a good quarter. It counts when the market is asking for the opposite. I work for 3,600 talents across the Middle East and Turkey, and the phrasing is deliberate. I have said for years that half my time goes to growth and the other half I am Jerry Maguire. The part worth copying is the quiet part: knowing what someone is capable of before they can see it themselves, fighting for the room they

deserve, keeping what was promised when they signed. My job is to remove the ceiling and get out of the way. So, the proposal, since a memo should contain one. Before any of us look outside for a skill, we should be asking who we already have and what it would take to get them there. Capability building is an obligation, and we prioritise it as one. We build futureready skills so our people can grow without having to leave, and learning is embedded into everyday work rather than run as a separate activity alongside it. The skills this industry will be hiring for in three years are not sitting in a pool any of us can recruit from today. We need to build them. The second proposal is less comfortable. If I am the smartest person in the room, we have a problem. The depth of knowledge and tech savviness in this business sits with the people closest to the work; my role is knowing where that expertise is and having the curiosity to go and ask. I learn that from my children every day. They are curious, and they see things through the lens of truth. The same applies to AI, which I assume is what everyone expected this memo to be about. Our talents are the Tony Starks. AI is the suit. Neither one gets you Iron Man on its own. Put them together, and you have the superhero. I have never agreed with the

“Capability building is an obligation, and we prioritise it as one.”

word artificial, because there is nothing fake about a system working at a scale and a speed the human brain cannot reach. It is advanced intelligence, and it is the most powerful suit any of us has ever been handed. Our responsibility is to make sure every talent has this superpower. Jerry Maguire lost his job for writing this down. I am publishing mine, and I will still be here next year to answer for it. Show me the talent, and I will show you the business.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

RALPH KHOURY DESIGNATION: CFO, WPP Media MENA YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 18 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 18 years

houry was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer for WPP Media across MENA, to help drive the transformation of the finance function, and adapt the group’s financial strategy in a world and ecosystem that is now powered by AI. Prior to that, he held a number of CFO roles across Omnicom creative and media, culminating in his previous role as the CFO leading Omnicom’s commercial and financial relationship with its largest global client, Nissan.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Madison Avenue Revisited by Michael Farmer. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Overhauling the pricing of services. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Insulating the organisation from the impact of the regional conflict. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Integrity Words of advice to young leaders There is no substitute for hard work. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “The KitKat Heist” One thing that you’ve unlearnt and learnt in the past 12 months Unlearnt: losing my patience. Learnt: the power of AI for finance.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR From a personal standpoint, it’s a nobrainer to say that the highlight of the year was joining WPP Media. Through 2026, Amer El Hajj and the team have been on a winning streak across the MENA region. There is a reason for that. When one client after the other entrusts their brand to you, it builds conﬁdence and trust. So, when I started on 5 January 2026, it felt great.

POWER ESSAY: WHY YOUR NEXT AGENCY RFP NEEDS A REWRITE The marketing and communications landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is experiencing an extraordinary era of growth and innovation. As we navigate this dynamic market together, our industry’s ultimate goal remains constant: delivering exceptional growth for our clients, building their profiles and ultimately driving their commercial success. To achieve this in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, the industry has an opportunity to evolve traditional commercial models. For decades, the foundational agency relationship has relied on billable hours. This is a model that assumes the more time taken to complete a project, the greater the investment required. However, in a future defined by agility and increasing automation, true value will lie in the impact of the work, not necessarily the time it takes to produce. When agencies utilise automation, artificial intelligence and strategic brilliance to achieve client goals faster, a traditional time-based model simply does not capture the true value of that efficiency. If we help a brand successfully break into a new market, exponentially grow a subscriber base or drive highly qualified traffic that converts to significant sales, the focus should be on celebrating and expanding those remarkable outcomes. By shifting commercial strategies to focus on the results delivered, agencies align their success entirely with the brands they serve. The integration of AI into our daily operations makes this evolution not just possible, but essential. AI supercharges our ability to scale campaigns, extract predictive analytics and optimise media deployments with unprecedented speed and precision. At WPP, we invest significantly in WPP Open, our agentic marketing platform. WPP Open unifies our capabilities across the entire marketing lifecycle, spanning strategic ideation and creative development through to scaled production and complex commerce execution. As this powerful technology allows us to work smarter and faster, transitioning to outcome-based partnerships will help to ensure clients continue to receive the maximum benefit from these innovations. For brands ready to embrace this evolution, it may help to begin this transformation during the procurement and request for

proposal (RFP) process. Exploring these three tangible shifts in how briefs are structured can help build stronger, more deeply integrated partnerships that deliver truly exceptional results: 1. Pivot from output to business outcomes: Rather than issuing RFPs that request full-time equivalent (FTE) headcounts and day rates, anchor the brief in strategic business goals. Procurement teams might consider outlining the specific market share they wish to capture, the brand value they aim to elevate, or the exact conversion metrics they need to hit. 2. Value capability over capacity: Brands often achieve their most significant leaps forward when prioritising strategic brilliance and technological capability over hours logged. When evaluating potential partners, consider looking closely at an agency’s ability to leverage data, insight and AI platforms such as WPP Open. Shifting evaluation criteria can unlock levels of efficiency and innovation that traditional time-andmaterials contracts simply cannot support. 3. Define a shared success model: Truly modern partnerships establish clear, mutually beneficial commercial structures early in the process. Brands might consider listing the exact delivery metrics they are willing to contract on and pay for. When agencies are rewarded for hitting specific and pre-agreed targets, it creates a dynamic where both parties share the exact same motivation: driving the most impactful results at the greatest possible speed. We see a remarkable opportunity for brands in the MENA region to lead this global transformation. As local markets continue their rapid growth and expansion, the ability to act quickly and capture market share is a brand’s greatest competitive advantage. By becoming early adopters of outcome-focused partnerships, brands in MENA can facilitate industry-wide innovation while reaping the immediate rewards of highly efficient, highly effective marketing. At WPP Media, we are uniquely equipped to meet these modern demands. We proudly serve as trusted strategic advisors for global and regional clients who entrust us to deliver tangible business results. The time has come for the broader industry to embrace this confident, forward-looking approach. Together, we can build sustainable, future-proof partnerships that consistently deliver extraordinary success.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

SACHINN J. LAALA DESIGNATION: CEO, Liquid HAVAS Market YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 22 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

23 years

ntrepreneurship is in Laala’s DNA. From the age of 12, he was involved in his family business, getting an early taste of what it meant to build, sell, negotiate and, most importantly, solve problems. Watching Liquid grow from an entrepreneurial idea into a business that was ultimately acquired by HAVAS remains one of his proudest moments. More than the acquisition, it was validation of a belief he had held for years: commerce is no longer merely a collection of separate channels; it is becoming central to how brands connect with consumers.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Telling our own story. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Functioning at the speed of retail. One quality you believe is essential to leadership The quality of decision-making. Words of advice to young leaders Rome wasn’t built in a day. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “A.I. Irresponsibly” by Brewlander. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Leadership can be nurtured, but it can’t be taught.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR A standout highlight of the past year has been our breakthrough in Saudi Arabia. After years of trying to crack the market, we’ve ﬁnally built meaningful momentum and a strong presence. Seeing the Kingdom become an important part of our growth story has been incredibly rewarding.

POWER ESSAY: FOR THE LOVE OF ADVERTISING … WHY ARE WE EVEN HERE? I left banking 22 years ago to move into an industry that had everything going for it: exceptional storytelling, a few channels that allowed creativity to flourish, powerful manifestos about what brands stood for, and visuals that moved the senses. Twenty-two years later, the industry is struggling to stay above water. How did one of the world’s oldest industries get here, and more importantly, what comes next? The first book I read when I entered advertising was Ogilvy on Advertising. Adland felt like a school of advertising wisdom, teaching us not just how to make ads, but why we did what we did for a living. Ogilvy himself put it simply: “People do not buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.” That was our north star: creativity in service of the story, never for its own sake. So perhaps the first question we need to ask ourselves is: what happened to our ability to be exceptional storytellers?

of creating. I believe we need to stop thinking first in channels: media, abovethe-line, below-the-line, digital, social, influencers or the newest buzzword, AI. We need to think about the story first. What does the brand stand for? What does the product do for me as a consumer? Why should I care? Simple, right? Once we nail that, everything else should serve the story. Use digital to bring the brand story to life. Use influencers to make it travel. Use PR to give it credibility. Use the shop floor to tell the product story. Then use AI to produce and adapt those parts cost-effectively, so that more of the marketing investment goes toward the story itself, rather than stitching together the pieces we broke apart in the first place.

“We went from being

storytellers to maintaining We were once focused on doing great work books, and worrying and bringing a powerful idea to life. more about top line and Somewhere along the way, agencies discovered that the best way to make more bottom line than about our money was to break the story into separate creative, client servicing and strategy parts, clients and the exceptional and charge the client for each one. It’s like brand stories we were McDonald’s deciding to sell you the bun, lettuce, cheese and chicken patty meant to tell.” separately rather than simply selling you the burger.

Then came more channels, and with them more complexity. More adaptations, cut-downs, versions and deliverables. Somewhere along the way, we made a mess of it. We aren’t a business of parts; we are the sum of all parts. Yet we have optimised ourselves out of the very thing that made us valuable. We went from being storytellers to maintaining books, and worrying more about top line and bottom line than about our clients and the exceptional brand stories we were meant to tell. We forgot something fundamental: people don’t remember specifications or numbers; they remember how a brand made them feel. That memory and that emotional imprint are the real product we are in the business

The irony is that AI, data and automation are exactly the tools that could free us to become better storytellers again. Efficiency was supposed to buy us more room for craft. Instead, too often, it has created more complexity, more silos and more invoices. If this industry wants to matter again to clients, consumers and the people who joined it because they loved the craft, we need to reassemble the burger. Put the story back at the centre. Let channels serve it. Let data sharpen it. Let AI make its production faster and more efficient. But never mistake any of them for the reason we are here. Because brands aren’t built by the parts we sell separately. They are built by the whole we forgot how to sell together.

October 2026

AGENCIES

AHMAD F. KONASH DESIGNATION: Group CEO, Wahaj Group, and CEO, Onsor Mosha Advertising YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 20 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

Born and raised in Saudi Arabia.

onash is a Saudi creative entrepreneur, designer and advertising executive, and the co-founder and CEO of Onsor Mosha (OM), a Saudi brand-led creative agency established in 2013. He is also Group CEO of Wahaj Group, a creative-sector holding company bringing together specialised businesses across advertising, branding, design, typography and creative technology. Today, through Onsor Mosha and Wahaj Group, Ahmad is focused on building sustainable Saudi creative businesses, developing local talent and strengthening the Kingdom’s creative capabilities. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and a Master’s in Applied Arts from Emily Carr University, and regularly contributes to the industry as a speaker, juror, mentor and advisor.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months From Good to Great by Jim Collins. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Long-term partnerships. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Morale. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Reading people Words of advice to young leaders People are your real capital; quality is what builds your reputation. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Carrier ‫اﻟﻤﻜﻴﻒ ﺑﺘﺎع ﻣﻨﻰ‬ One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Cash flow is king.

THE MENA POWER LIST

AGENCIES

GEORGE MAKTABI DESIGNATION: Group CEO, Webedia Arabia Group YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 27 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: 25 years

aktabi is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Webedia Arabia Group. He was appointed in 2020 to lead the group to an exponential business growth, with breakthrough creative work, exceptional brand building activities, initiatives and innovative business models for the multitude of companies and publications under the group. Maktabi brings over 20 years of experience in the GCC, having led the operations of Publicis Communications and taken the Publicis Groupe to new heights in Saudi, through working with blue-chip multinational clients, local brands as well as governmental entities. During his free time, George is an aspiring artist with a solid collection of his own illustrations that have been attracting a big following on social media.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Bringing back the power of ideas. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation People. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Empathy. Words of advice to young leaders Read historical fiction novels. They offer a captivating window into the past, allowing us to experience everyday perspectives through the intimate lived experiences of ordinary people. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months I haven’t. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months I learned that “great moments are outside time”.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

TAREK MIKNAS DESIGNATION: CEO, FP7 McCANN

MENAT

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 29 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

23 years

iknas became CEO of FP7 McCANN for the MENAT region in 2010. Under his leadership, the agency was named Most Effective Agency and Network of the Year at the MENA Effies for eight consecutive years and earned the title of Most Effective Agency of the Year globally four times. In 2026, FP7 McCANN was named MENA Network of the Year at Cannes Lions.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Non-fiction: Atomic Habits by James Clear and The AI-Driven Leader by Geoff Woods. Fiction: On the Road by Jack Kerouac. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Trust and collaboration. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Better, faster and more efficient. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Empathy. Words of advice to young leaders Outwork and outcare – and then you’ll outperform, which is the only way to advance. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Expensive Sh*t” by McCann NY/New Zealand for Huggies. Hilariously simple product demonstration. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months If you’re in a hurry, slow down.

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

MAZEN NAHAWI DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO, CARMA and RAIYN YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 30 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: More than 30 years OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: Executive Board Member, MEPRA

ahawi is the Founder and CEO of CARMA and RAIYN, with more than 30 years of experience in communications intelligence and media analytics. He has built CARMA into a globally recognised media intelligence company operating across 24 offices in MENA, APAC, Europe and the Americas. Mazen also founded RAIYN, bringing together CARMA, Brazen MENA, Cicero & Bernay, Salient Communication Group and SOCIALEYEZ under one communications group built around trust, specialist expertise and measurable impact. A recognised industry leader, Mazen regularly speaks at international communications forums and has briefed audiences at US Central Command and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He has been recognised by Arabian Business among its Top 15 Disruptors and 150 Most Influential Arabs and serves on the Executive Board of MEPRA.

RAPID FIRE The best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Breath by James Nestor. It’s a brilliant book about the importance of breathing properly and consistently. I read it many years ago but re-read it this year, and it’s been even better. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Bringing people together. Everyone is focused on processing, AI, technology, pitch decks, content and storytelling, but why do we do it? We do it to bring people together. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Empowering people through education, a good work environment, culture, kindness and compassion. Ultimately, uplifting our teams must be the number one priority. It’s easier said than done. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Kindness. Words of advice to young leaders Believe. Believe in who you are, why you’re doing it and in the people around you. If you have that purpose, nothing is impossible. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months I have enjoyed the new campaigns by Kalshi. They’re betting on everything. They’re very humorous, very smart and targeted at the same time. One thing that you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months: I have unlearnt the habit of eating when I’m not hungry. I can eat all day long. Even if I’m not hungry, you put a thick crust pizza in front of me, and it’s gone in five minutes. I’ve been able to unlearn that habit. Put that pizza in front of me right now and it’s going to stay there untouched.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

DANY NAAMAN DESIGNATION: CEO, HAVAS Middle East and Africa YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 33 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 54 years

RAPID FIRE

aaman has played a central role in building HAVAS’ presence in the Middle East since the launch of HAVAS Media Middle East in 2005, before being appointed Group CEO in 2019. He currently oversees the Group’s business across the Middle East, with responsibility for its strategic direction, growth and continued development across the region. His remit has recently expanded to include strategic oversight of Africa, as well.

POWER ESSAY: THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCE For most of our professional lives, we have spoken about communication as a force of influence. Its role was to shape perception, create preference and move people towards a decision. I wonder if that description is still complete. We are living through a period in which trust is fragile, certainty is limited, and every institution is being judged by the distance between what it says and what it does. People are not only listening to brands. They are asking what they reveal about the world, what they value, and whether they deserve a place in their lives. In that environment, communication carries a different weight. It does not simply tell us what a brand offers. It tells us what a brand believes is worth wanting, protecting, changing or becoming. And yet, somewhere along the way, we may have lost sight of what our job is actually about. We have surrounded communication with increasingly sophisticated language. We speak about ecosystems, transformation, personalisation, performance and now artificial intelligence. But the complexity of the machinery should not obscure the simplicity of the responsibility. Our job is to understand people and culture. To find meaning in the space between what a business wants to say and what people are ready to hear. To create ideas that connect, not simply messages that travel. Technology can accelerate a message. It cannot give that message meaning. Those remain human responsibilities. They are also the reason our profession exists. This is not an argument against progress. Our industry has always evolved, absorbing new media, new technologies, new behaviours and new ways of working. Reinvention is not a threat to marketing and communications. It is part of our history. The question is whether we remain clear about what progress is meant to serve. When measurement becomes the centre of the conversation, we can confuse what is countable with what is valuable. When speed becomes the priority, we can forget that the most powerful ideas require judgement and courage. When production becomes easier, we risk producing more without asking whether there is anything meaningful left to say. We can know how many people saw something and still not know whether it mattered. We can

understand behaviour and still fail to understand the person behind it. The stories we tell help shape what people notice, what they believe is possible, and what they expect from the organisations around them. They can make people feel seen or make them feel targeted. They can build trust or deepen scepticism. They can add meaning to a product, a service or an experience – or simply add to the noise. At its best, communication gives form to a deeper human desire: for progress, belonging, recognition, joy or a life that feels more possible. That is a responsibility we should not take lightly. The work should offer something in return for the attention it asks of people. This does not mean every brand must comment on every issue or that every campaign needs to carry a social message. It means brands cannot separate what they say from what they do or their message from the context in which it is received. Purpose has never been a line added to a campaign. Trust has never been created by visibility alone. Meaning is earned through consistency. The strongest brands understand this. They do not simply ask people to choose them. They give people a reason to believe in them. They become useful in people’s lives, relevant to their culture and credible in their actions. That is also where commercial value comes from. Meaningful connections are not separate from growth; they are what allow growth to endure. People may notice a brand because of a message, but they stay with it because of what it represents and the experience it consistently creates. This is why our work still matters. Not because we have more channels, more data or more powerful technology. It matters because ideas can help people make sense of change, give shape to ambition, create belonging and make a possibility feel closer. We do not need to make our profession sound more important by making it more complicated. We need to remember why it matters. Communication has always carried consequences. The difference today is that we can no longer afford to overlook what we leave behind. The tools have changed. The responsibility has not.

Best book read in the past 12 months The Housemaid by Freida McFadden – a gripping, fast-paced thriller. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Simplify. Fewer buzzwords and more meaningful ideas. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Supporting our people and clients with clarity, care and continuity through regional uncertainty. One quality essential to leadership Humanity. Ambition and high standards are more powerful when combined with kindness and joy. Words of advice to young leaders Don’t try to impress. Try to make a difference. One ad that you enjoyed “Madrid Beats” – a vibrant, distinctive campaign that captures the city’s energy, character and rhythm. One thing you have learnt recently People are never remembered for talent alone. Their humanity, energy and the way they make others feel matter just as much, if not more.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YEAR Emirates returned to HAVAS after five years – the first reinstatement in the airline’s 25-year agency history. It was a defining achievement for HAVAS Middle East and a powerful demonstration of how trust, continuity, evolving capabilities and global collaboration can create lasting partnerships.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

AGENCIES

WISSAM NAJJAR DESIGNATION: Chief Commercial Officer, Omnicom Media MENA YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 25 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 25 years

s Chief Commercial Officer of OM MENA, Najjar leads the commercial transformation of one of the region’s largest media investment operations. Responsible for shaping commercial strategy, investment governance, trading excellence, product monetisation and business transformation across 13 markets, he is helping redefine how media value is created, measured and delivered in an increasingly complex digital economy. With more than two decades of experience in media and advertising, Najjar has built a reputation for combining commercial acumen with transformational leadership. At OM MENA, he oversees a broad commercial remit spanning investment, trading, commercial finance, strategic partnerships and product innovation.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Myth of Normal by Dr. Gabor Maté. In a world obsessed with performance and achievement, it was a refreshing reminder that our relationships, emotional health and sense of belonging ultimately shape how we lead, grow and succeed. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Breaking the industry’s addiction to legacy trading metrics and replacing them with true business accountability. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Building a culture where reinvention is valued as well as expertise. AI is democratising access to knowledge, which means competitive advantage will increasingly come from an organisation’s ability to adapt faster than the market around it. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Decisiveness. Speed matters. Perfect information rarely exists, and leadership often comes down to making the best call with the data available. Words of advice to young leaders Stay curious. The leaders who keep learning are the ones who keep growing. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Vaseline Verified”. It wasn’t just a campaign; it was a masterclass in modern brand building. It turned consumer behaviour into value, used evidence to combat misinformation, and proved that relevance is earned through usefulness. One thing that you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months I’ve had to unlearn that experience compounds forever. AI has changed the equation.

THE MENA POWER LIST

AGENCIES

JOE NICOLAS DESIGNATION: CEO, UM MENAT YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 17 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

19 years

OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: MCN Executive Committee Member

icolas is CEO of UM MENAT, a leading media agency in the region. Drawing on more than 17 years of experience and a deep understanding of the media landscape, he has led the agency’s transformation across digital, technology and data, delivering sustained growth and client success while holding firm to creativity and innovation as a discipline.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Less tech demos, more delivered solutions. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Turning scale into simplicity. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Intellectual honesty. Words of advice to young leaders: Learn from everywhere and everyone. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Bad Bunny, Super Bowl Halftime Show. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months The newest answer is not always the best one.

October 2026

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AGENCIES

REDA RAAD DESIGNATION: Group CEO, TBWA\RAAD YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 31 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 31 years

co-founder of TBWA\RAAD in 2000, Reda Raad is a visionary leader who has spent more than two decades transforming what began as a four-person operation into a regional and now globally recognised powerhouse. In Raad’s words, “Our people are our greatest disruptors.” It is through this lens that he has shaped TBWA\RAAD into one of the most innovative, inclusive and results-driven agencies in the region, and an integral hub within the TBWA global network.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Honestly, no books, but podcasts: ‘Pivot’ for media and tech, and ‘The Diary of a CEO’ because Steven Bartlett gets people to say the thing they usually leave out. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Conviction. We need to believe this region is worth building something permanent in. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Protecting focus. My job is to keep the noise from becoming the work: sharper AI, not a cost story dressed as innovation, and growth inside the clients we already have. One quality you believe is essential to leadership More empathy. More EQ. Words of advice to young leaders Be useful before you ask to be visible. Solve something nobody assigned you. Titles follow, faster than you think. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Backyard Legends” for adidas, by Lola USA. $50m budget, Chalamet, Messi, Bad Bunny and the story is still a neighbourhood pitch. Scale and specificity aren’t opposites. Most brands still think they are. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months A good plan doesn’t survive the year; clear direction does. Conviction on direction, flexibility on route.

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

MOHAMMED SEHLY DESIGNATION: CEO, BigTime

Creative Shop

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 15 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

Born and raised in the region

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Building the next generation and pipeline of talent. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Digital transformation. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Resourcefulness, making the most of every opportunity.

Words of advice to young leaders Be native to the technology as it evolves, but keep the idea, the storytelling and the craft at the core. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “JELL-OMETER” for Jell-O. One thing that you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months I’ve unlearnt that the best idea in the room should be mine. As a creative director, that instinct is the job. As a CEO, it is the bottleneck.

ohammed Sehly is an Emmy award-winning advertising executive and the founder and CEO of BigTime Creative Shop, a Saudiborn global independent creative agency recognised for shaping cultural conversations across sports and entertainment. Launched in Riyadh in 2023, BigTime operates on a global level, building work for brands including Pepsi Global, Riyadh Season, the NBA and LIV Golf. Under his leadership, BigTime has secured more than 370 international awards from the industry’s most prestigious festivals, including Independent Entertainment Agency of the Year 2025 at Cannes Lions, alongside numerous wins from Eurobest, D&AD, Dubai Lynx, Clio Awards, The One Show, London International Awards, Loeries, CICLOPE, Kinsale Sharks, New York Festivals, ADC and ADFEST. Many of those awards were historic firsts for the Middle East and Africa, reinforcing a new era of creative leadership emerging from the region. That record has translated into global standing. BigTime ranks as the number one independent agency in MENA and sits in the global top 10 alongside holding company networks in the WARC and The Drum World Creative Rankings, an unusual position for an agency barely three years old. Sehly believes creativity should drive culture, not just campaigns, and BigTime’s work has actively participated in shifting industry norms, blending cinematic storytelling, fandom fluency and integrated communications to redefine how global brands build momentum and engage modern audiences. He is a regular voice on the international stage, most recently on the Lions Sport Stage at Cannes Lions 2026, the Saudi Media Forum, and at Dubai Lynx.

OCT

15 2026

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October 2026

AGENCIES

RAMZI SLEIMAN DESIGNATION: CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi Gulf and Publicis Health Middle East YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 25 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: Born and raised

leiman has spent more than two decades with Publicis Groupe Middle East, shaping some of its most enduring client relationships and contributing to the steady evolution of its creative agencies in the region. His deep operational experience and cultural fluency made him a natural at unlocking new opportunities and leading multi-market transformation.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Good to Great by Jim Collins. What I loved about it is the idea that greatness is about having the right people, being honest about the reality you’re facing, and consistently doing the small things well over time. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Designing better cultures. AI can optimise systems and accelerate progress, but only people can bring heart, soul and instinct to an organisation. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Growth for our people, growth for our clients and growth for the agency. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Presence. Great leadership is about being fully present, especially when it matters. And that requires empathy: the ability to see the human before the role and the why before the what. Words of advice to young leaders Lead with heart before title. Show up when it’s hard, listen when it’s quiet and stand up when it counts. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “The Periodic Fable” for The Ordinary. One thing that you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months The old advertising playbook. What worked before won’t necessarily work now. Leaders who cling too tightly to old ways of thinking risk becoming irrelevant.

October 2026

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October 2026

AGENCIES

DANA TAHIR DESIGNATION: CEO, HAVAS Red Middle

East and Egypt

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 19 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 20 years OTHER ROLES / BOARD MEMBERSHIPS:

HAVAS Global Creative Council

s CEO of HAVAS Red Middle East, Tahir leads one of the region’s most dynamic creative communications agencies. With a career spanning more than 19 years in PR and communications, she has been instrumental in transforming the agency into a powerhouse for integrated brand storytelling, strategic advisory and reputation management.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Documentaries are more my thing. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Raising industry standards collectively, so we compete on the value of our work, not on who can do it for less. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Adapt and build for what’s next. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Thinking beyond yourself. Words of advice to young leaders Don’t wait to be given a chance. Take one. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “TOCAYOS” by Heineken. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months You’ll never know until you try.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Being named the ﬁrst Arab woman to serve as a Cannes Lions Jury President was a deﬁning moment for me. Beyond the personal honour, what mattered more was the visibility it created for Arab women and our region.

POWER ESSAY: RAISING THE BAR FOR YOUNG TALENT – THE LADDER IS OURS TO BUILD, THEIRS TO CLIMB We ask more of a junior today than we did five years ago, and it isn’t close. Today’s entry-level hire is expected to navigate social platforms, creator ecosystems, artificial intelligence (AI) tools, data and rapidly changing media behaviours, while developing a meaningful understanding of the client’s business. What once constituted a strong junior skill set is now simply the starting point, and the definition of good at this job keeps widening. The expectations running the other way have grown just as fast. Junior talent increasingly expect clarity on progression, regular and meaningful feedback, access to senior leadership, work with a sense of purpose and flexibility that allows for a life beyond it. These are not unreasonable demands. But they represent a fundamental shift in what people expect from the relationship between employer and employee. The old agency bargain was relatively straightforward. You joined, worked hard, learned through proximity to people with more experience and progressed over time. But the infrastructure that made that model work has changed. Hybrid working has reduced the informal learning that happens through observation. AI is absorbing many of the junior tasks that once built foundational skills through repetition. Teams are leaner. And young people can see other careers and other salaries, far more clearly than any generation before them. So here’s the question I keep coming back to. If both sides now expect more, are both sides ready to give more? Start with what we owe them. We can’t ask for commercially sharp, digitally fluent young talent and then leave their development to chance. That means managers who teach, not just hand out tasks. It means bringing junior people into the rooms where client conversations and strategic decisions happen, rather than simply handing them the output afterwards. It means giving honest feedback early enough for people to act on it. And it means being clear about what progression looks like and what it takes to get there. Development is a leadership job now. It isn’t HR’s responsibility alone. A good manager can compress years into months. A bad one can make a genuinely talented person wonder whether they belong in this industry at all. That is on us. But the responsibility cannot only run one way. A career is still something you participate in, not something you receive. Young talent

should absolutely ask what an organisation is going to invest in them. Ask about progression. Ask for feedback. Ask for opportunities and greater responsibility. But they should be equally prepared to ask: how much am I investing in return? Because showing up is not the same as being invested. Being invested means asking questions because you genuinely want to understand, not simply to complete the task. It means owning your learning, caring about the outcome beyond your piece of it and understanding why the client hired us in the first place. It means knowing what is happening in the industry, developing a point of view and taking ownership without always waiting to be asked. And importantly, it means being willing to hear feedback, particularly when it is uncomfortable. You cannot ask for progression and then resist the feedback that will help you get there. Wanting to grow means wanting to understand where you need to improve and then actually doing the work to improve in those areas. There is something else that matters: depth. You cannot build a meaningful career from the surface. You have to put something of yourself into the work. Read more. Ask why. Stay with the problem longer. Care whether the work is good, not simply whether it is done. Some parts of this craft only come from repetition, experience and genuinely putting your heart into becoming better at what you do. There is no shortcut around that. That last point matters, because everything around us now runs on immediacy. Information is instant. Feedback online is instant. Careers are not. They still compound. AI makes all of this more urgent. It can already do a lot of the research, the first drafts, the monitoring and the summaries. The work gets faster, and some of the learning goes missing in the process. So we have to be deliberate about how juniors build judgement, and they have to resist treating AI as a replacement for understanding the work. Use it. Master it. But don’t let it do your learning for you. The best agencies will be the ones in which both sides understand the exchange. We invest, teach, challenge and open doors. Young talent need to bring the commitment, take the feedback, do the work and have the ambition to walk through them. Expect more from leadership. But expect more from yourself, too. Because no agency can want your growth more than you do.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

AGENCIES

HOUDA TOHME DESIGNATION: CEO, HAVAS Media Middle East YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 27 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: All my life OTHER ROLES / BOARD MEMBERSHIPS: IAA UAE, IAB MENA

ohme has almost three decades of experience across marketing, advertising and media. She has led HAVAS Media Middle East’s growth into one of the top five media agencies in the region. Tohme is regarded as one of the more experienced and long-standing leaders in the Middle East media industry, known for a pragmatic, results-driven approach to leadership.

POWER ESSAY: THE BRAND DOESN’T GET A SEAT WHEN THE CHAIR KEEPS CHANGING Every brand has a memory. Almost nobody owns it. Leadership here moves fast. A chief marketing officer (CMO) arrives, sets a direction, and is reassigned within eighteen months. A chief executive officer (CEO) changes, and the effect reaches every part of the business. Priorities shift. Budgets move. Work that was approved gets paused. We treat this as normal. It isn’t. It’s a real cost to growth, and almost nobody accounts for it. The GCC has a short memory. People move fast here: up, sideways and out. That mobility says something exciting about the ambition of this market. But it all comes at a cost, one that many share, though it’s the brand that pays the largest bill. When a leader leaves, it’s not just the person walking out the door. It’s the reasoning. The why. Why that channel mix. Why that market first. Why the campaign that failed three years ago failed, and what it cost to find out. What fills that gap, often, is an agenda. Not always a bad one, but rarely a neutral one. New leaders want to leave a mark. It’s human, and frankly it’s expected of them. The problem is when that need comes first. A new tagline. A new direction. A new tone. Not because the brand needed it. Because someone needed a signature on the wall. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: the brand rarely asked for any of it. It was doing fine. It was thriving. It simply became the stage where someone needed to prove themselves. The first place this tends to show up is the marketing team: new faces, new reporting lines, sometimes new hires altogether. It shows up next in the partnerships around the brand. A new leader reviews what’s in place quickly and forms their own view of what’s working. That instinct is healthy. But there’s a difference between reviewing a partnership on its own merits and resetting it simply because it predates them. The first is judgement. The second is not, even if it looks like it. Institutional

memory is an asset. It should only be spent when the brand gets something better in return. When that happens, the brand loses people who already understand its history, its audience, its tone, and every lesson already paid for. That knowledge doesn’t transfer with a handover email. It must be earned again, slowly, at the brand’s expense. Consistency is one of the most underrated assets a brand can have. It compounds slowly and invisibly, the same way trust does. A distinctive look, a recognisable tone, a promise repeated until people stop noticing it and start believing it – all of it is built through years of consistency, not novelty. A revolving door, in leadership or in the partners around a brand, is one of the fastest ways to wear that down. Only one question actually matters: does this make the brand stronger, or does it just make someone’s first ninety days feel productive? New leadership isn’t the problem. Some of the strongest work in this region started the same way. Someone new walked in and asked the obvious question nobody had asked in years. Gave a tired brand permission to move again. Fresh eyes catch what familiarity misses. The difference isn’t who’s in the seat. It’s intent. A decision made in service of the brand’s ambition builds something. A decision made simply to mark a new chapter costs something. The first deserves full support, even when it’s uncomfortable. The second deserves a second thought, from anyone in the room paying attention. People move on. Titles change hands. Partners come and go, sometimes for excellent reasons. The brand is the only thing left carrying every decision made in its name, long after everyone who made them has moved to their next role. Protecting its continuity isn’t nostalgia. It’s discipline, and possibly the most valuable, least discussed job in our industry today.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority The sustainability of our industry. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Helping our partners navigate the current uncertainties. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Patience. Words of advice to young leaders Keep asking questions. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months A Peruvian TV network, Frecuencia Latina, sped up one of its prime-time shows by 0.7 per cent, so subtly that no viewer noticed, quietly reclaiming 60 seconds of the most expensive advertising real estate per episode. The campaign, called “Prime Time 0.7”, handed that stolen minute straight to the Peruvian Cancer Foundation as two free ad spots in a slot they could never have afforded to buy. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months This year retaught me an old lesson the hard way: nothing is guaranteed. War broke out in the region overnight, without warning, and every plan we’d built had to bend. It reminded me that stability isn’t owed; it’s earned, daily, and never for granted.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR The clearest validation of an agency’s value isn’t a new client; it’s an old one returning. This year, Emirates came back to us, alongside a boomerang eﬀect across a few other clients such as Swarovski, The Deal and Tanagra … not to mention others that would return in a heartbeat, given the chance.

October 2026

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October 2026

AGENCIES

TONY WAZEN

RAPID FIRE

DESIGNATION: CEO, Publicis Media MENA YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 20 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: More than 20 years OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: ABG Board Member; IAA Board Member; and YPO Member

ith more than 20 years of experience across the Middle East’s marketing and media industry, Wazen is the CEO of Publicis Media MENA, where he oversees leading media brands including Starcom, Zenith and Spark. Tony has spent 18 years with Publicis Groupe, beginning his journey with Optimedia, the Group’s ROIfocused media agency, in 2008. He eventually became the Managing Director and held the role until 2019, before being appointed CEO of Digitas Middle East.

POWER ESSAY: REINVENTING THE MACHINE There is a difference between talking about reinvention and doing it. Having spent much of my career helping organisations navigate change, I have learnt that transformation is rarely as neat as it sounds. You must reinvent the machine while keeping the machine running. The business still has targets to deliver; clients still need answers; revenue still needs to grow; and people still need support. And alongside all of that, an organisation must change how it works, develop new capabilities and nearly always let go of things that have historically made it successful. That is hard. But the alternative is harder. In our industry, staying still in a market that is moving quickly doesn’t protect the business. Eventually, it puts it at risk. AI is the catalyst of one of the biggest moments of transformation our industry is likely to ever see. But I don’t think the most interesting question is what AI can do. It is what we should now be able to do that simply wasn’t possible before. That shift in perspective matters. Because adding AI to an existing process isn’t necessarily reinvention. In some cases, it can make an organisation more complicated and more expensive – another platform, another workflow and another approval layer without changing the underlying model. And the cost isn’t just the technology; it is the hidden cost in talent, capacity, training, management attention and, ultimately, the ability of people to do their best work. The danger is that we become technologically sophisticated but organisationally unchanged – I don’t think that is good enough. This is a pivotal moment for our industry because, for perhaps the first time, we have the technology and data to fundamentally rethink how we deliver outcomes for clients. But technology cannot be the starting point. The starting point must be the business challenge. What is the client trying to achieve? What is happening with their customers? What human truth sits underneath the data? What is getting in the way of growth? Then we should ask how we bring together people, creativity, data, strategy and technology in a way that solves that problem better and faster than we could before. That thinking is behind the evolution of Publicis Connected Media. Rather than asking clients to

navigate the increasingly fragmented ecosystem themselves, the ambition is to connect media, data, commerce, influence and technology around the consumer and, ultimately, the business outcome. For me, that is what reinvention should look like: not adding another capability to the machine, but changing how the machine works – and that requires courage. Real reinvention doesn’t happen through a series of small requests to add AI here and there. Those experiments have value, but they don’t constitute transformation. The bigger opportunity is to step back and look at the operating model itself. What capabilities do we need? What should humans be doing? Where can technology remove friction? What could happen in real time that currently takes days? And, perhaps, the most uncomfortable question is: what should we stop doing altogether? Our industry has accumulated processes and ways of working over many years. Some are essential, while others exist simply because nobody has challenged them. Reinvention gives us permission to challenge them. This is also where the MENA region has a real opportunity. The region has ambition, energy and a willingness to build for what comes next. But speed alone isn’t the answer. The real advantage will come from combining that agility with something technology cannot replicate: human understanding, cultural intelligence and creativity. AI can help us move faster. It can help us see more, test more and create at a scale we couldn’t previously imagine. But it doesn’t tell us what matters to people; that still requires insight. So, I don’t think the question for our industry is whether we reinvent ourselves. We must. The question is whether we are brave enough to reinvent properly. That means starting with outcomes rather than technology, designing organisations around the future rather than protecting the past, and being prepared to change the machine while continuing to run it. It won’t always be comfortable. It will require investment, difficult decisions and a willingness to leave some things behind. But after a career spent watching our industry evolve, I’m convinced of one thing: the biggest risk isn’t getting transformation wrong; it’s deciding that what worked yesterday will be good enough for tomorrow.

Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Fourth Turning Is Here by Neil Howe. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority We need to get better at connecting what we do to real business outcomes. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Turning AI from a collection of tools into a genuinely differentiated way of working. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Composure. Words of advice to young leaders Don’t confuse confidence with certainty. Have the confidence to make decisions, but stay curious enough to listen, learn and change direction when the evidence tells you to. Don’t be afraid to challenge the way things have been done. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Build Your Own Super Bowl” by Uber Eats. One thing that you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months I’ve unlearnt the need to solve everything immediately. In a fastmoving business, there is a natural pressure to react to every challenge immediately. I’ve become more comfortable taking a step back, separating the signal from the noise and focusing on the problem that needs solving.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR We became a Category of One. Publicis Media has expanded from traditional investment into inﬂuence, content, commerce, creators and technology. We moved from being a media network with AI capabilities to becoming a connected media ecosystem. This has proven extremely eﬀective and resulted in a record year for growth for us both regionally and globally.

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October 2026

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MOHAMED SULAIMAN ALMULLA DESIGNATION: CEO, Dubai Media YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: Since 2001 OTHER ROLES / BOARD MEMBERSHIPS:

POWER ESSAY: BUILDING THE INDUSTRY BEHIND THE ARAB STORY

The Arab world has never lacked stories. What it still needs is an industry capable of capturing the full cultural and commercial value of those stories. I believe the next competitive advantage for Arab media will be ownership – of ideas, formats, audience relationships and the value they create. Our region should not remain merely a market for global intellectual property. It should develop, own and export intellectual property of its own. This requires us to reconsider how we define success. We must stop measuring it only by reach. Reach tells us how far a story has travelled, but not who owns it, whether the creators behind it have built sustainable careers or whether the value it generates is reinvested in the region. A more consequential measure is whether one successful production creates the foundations for the next. Investing in original Emirati and Arab intellectual property is therefore an economic and cultural priority. When an idea is developed and owned in the region, its potential extends beyond a single programme or season. It can become a returning series, an adaptable format or a story that moves between television, film and digital platforms. It generates opportunities for writers, directors, journalists, producers and technical specialists, while creating value that can support further production. It also gives us the confidence to explore experiences that remain largely absent from the screen. The changes taking place within our families, communities, cities and workplaces are not peripheral subjects. They are part of a significant regional story, and they should be interpreted by creators who understand their complexity because they have lived it. Creators are the engine of this ambition, but talent cannot build a sustainable career through visibility alone. Emerging voices need practical skills, repeated opportunities, access to production expertise and platforms that can connect strong ideas with audiences. A promising creator should be able to progress from an initial commission to a body of work, contribute to the careers of others and participate meaningfully in the value that work creates. Media organisations have an important role because they sit at the intersection of policy, creativity, technology and audiences. Government entities can strengthen the enabling environment. Private companies can provide investment, specialist capabilities and international routes to market. Media institutions can bring these strengths together with creative talent, commission original work and establish the infrastructure required for it to compete. In this sense, media organisations must become more than publishers, broadcasters or distributors. They must become market makers for the creative economy. At Dubai Media, this conviction shapes how we work across news, entertainment and cultural storytelling. Through Dubai Studios, we are developing original series, films and documentaries while working with regional and international production partners. Through Dubai Media Academy,

Board Member – Dubai Media Council ohamed AlMulla is a visionary leader in the media and entertainment industry. With a career spanning more than two decades, he has held prominent positions and made significant contributions to the growth and development of various organisations in the UAE. AlMulla brings a wealth of experience from diverse media and entertainment business segments, and has consistently displayed a passion for innovation, strategic thinking and excellence in the media and entertainment industry. As the CEO of Dubai Media, he continues to drive growth, shape the future of the organisation and contribute to the flourishing media landscape of Dubai and the UAE.

RAPID FIRE What is the media industry’s most valuable currency? Trust. What will define the region’s next media chapter? Original stories with global reach. What will unlock the region’s creative economy? Partnerships across the media ecosystem.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR In two years, ambition became delivery at Dubai Media. Across three fronts – platforms, partnerships and people – we have accelerated. We have launched the Dubai+ digital platform, forged more than 20 strategic partnerships across government and the media industry, and the Al Bayan Economic Centre is now established. Built on a strong legacy, this is momentum with purpose: creating new pathways for Emirati photographers and journalists to shape what comes next.

we are helping talent develop the capabilities required to participate in a rapidly changing industry. These are connected priorities: strong stories need skilled people, professional production environments and a clear route to audiences. That route increasingly depends on audiencefocused digital platforms. Local content cannot create lasting value if it is difficult to discover or is confined to a single moment in the broadcast schedule. Dubai+ brings original productions, films, series, live television, sports and major events together within an integrated digital platform, making Emirati and Arab content more accessible while helping us understand how audiences discover, watch and return to it. Distribution partnerships can take these stories further. From October 2026, Dubai+ will launch on Emirates’ ice entertainment platform with 10 programmes, 35 episodes and more than 20 hours of locally produced content, with new titles and episodes added monthly. The significance is not simply the number of programmes available. It is the creation of a continuing international route through which Emirati and Arab stories can reach audiences from different countries and cultures. Partnerships of this kind demonstrate how cultural reach and commercial value can reinforce one another. The objective is not a single moment of exposure, but sustained discovery, repeat engagement and greater potential for future production, licensing and collaboration. As these stories travel, their authenticity must remain intact. Language, length, subtitling and format can be adapted to improve accessibility, but cultural meaning and authorship should remain clear. The UAE’s story is most compelling when it is presented with confidence, specificity and honesty. International relevance should not require Emirati and Arab stories to lose the qualities that make them distinctive. Technology will be central to building this industry. At Dubai Media, we are actively integrating artificial intelligence across idea development, content creation, production, operations and audience engagement through Media X. Used responsibly, AI can reduce repetitive work, strengthen efficiency, improve personalisation and make Arabic content easier to discover and adapt. Its purpose, however, should not be to standardise creativity. It should give creators more time and better tools while protecting human judgement, editorial credibility and cultural authenticity. In a region defined by linguistic and cultural diversity, those principles are essential. The opportunity before Arab media is not only to produce more content; it is to build an industry in which original ideas are developed here, creators establish meaningful careers here, and the value generated by successful work is capable of funding what comes next. Arab stories will travel furthest when they are supported by a confident, connected and sustainable creative economy. Our responsibility is to build that economy so that when these stories reach the world, their authorship, identity and value travel with them.

October 2026

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October 2026

MEDIA NETWORKS

SAMI AL MUFLEH DESIGNATION: Founder and CEO,

Hills Advertising

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 30 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

34 years

l Mufleh has spent 30 years helping shape the out-of-home (OOH) media landscape across the Middle East. Since establishing Hills, he has grown the business through a long-term approach built around strategic locations, strong partnerships and continued investment in the evolution of the medium. His leadership philosophy has always been grounded in looking beyond immediate market demand and building capabilities that can create value over time.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The NVIDIA Way by Tae Kim. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Long-term thinking. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Building for tomorrow. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Adaptability. Words of advice to young leaders Stay curious. Stay decisive. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “So Win” by Nike. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Never stop adapting.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Leading Hills through its most ambitious transformation to date, with a long-term investment programme reshaping its outdoor media network across Dubai. The focus has been on building the infrastructure, technology and commercial capabilities required for the next generation of OOH, while positioning the business for sustainable growth in the years ahead.

POWER ESSAY: THE COURAGE TO BUILD BEFORE THE MARKET ASKS One of the hardest decisions in business is not deciding what to build. It is deciding when. By the time everyone agrees that a market is ready for something, there is a good chance you are already late. After 30 years in outdoor advertising, I have seen our industry change more times than I can count. Technology has changed. Formats have changed. Clients have changed. Cities have changed. Even the way we define value in media has changed. And it will all change again. What interests me more today is not trying to predict every change that is coming. I have learnt that this is almost impossible. What matters is having the leadership principles that allow you to recognise change, adapt to it and, when necessary, move before everyone else does. Some of those principles have remained remarkably constant throughout my career. The first is conviction. There are moments in business when the data will tell you what to do. There are other moments when the data simply does not exist yet. If you are building something new, there will rarely be a business case that removes every uncertainty. At some point, a leader has to make a decision. But conviction should never become stubbornness. That is where adaptability becomes equally important. I have changed my mind many times over the years. I consider that a strength, not a weakness. Markets give you new information every day. Good leaders listen to it. They surround themselves with people who challenge them, and they are prepared to change direction when the evidence says they should. What should not change is the ambition behind the decision. This is particularly relevant in the Middle East. We operate in a region that has never been afraid to think ahead. Look at the cities around us. Much of what we take for granted today exists because someone had the conviction to build it before the demand was obvious. I believe our industry needs more of that mindset. Advertising has become very good at short-term optimisation. We measure more, optimise more and expect investments to demonstrate returns faster than ever. That discipline is important and has made our industry more accountable. But leadership cannot only be about the next quarter. At Hills, we are currently making one of the biggest investments in

“While the tools of

business constantly change, the principles required to lead through change are surprisingly consistent.”

our history. We are building new digital infrastructure, technology and capabilities not simply around what advertisers were asking for yesterday, but around what we believe they will expect from outdoor media in the future. There is risk in doing that. There should be. If every decision feels completely safe, you are probably not moving far enough ahead. Another principle I have learnt to value more with time is patience. We celebrate speed in business, but not everything valuable happens quickly. Infrastructure takes time. Building the right team takes time. Changing an organisation takes time. Trust certainly takes time. The challenge for leaders is knowing when to move fast and when to give something the time it needs. Perhaps that is what 30 years in this industry has taught me most. Leadership is not about having predicted every change correctly. It is about staying curious enough to see change coming, adaptable enough to respond to it, decisive enough to act and patient enough to allow the right decisions to create value. Technology will continue to change our industry. New platforms will emerge. New performance metrics will become important. What advertisers expect from us five years from now will be different from what they expect today. That does not worry me. It excites me. Because while the tools of business constantly change, the principles required to lead through change are surprisingly consistent. And sometimes the most important of those principles is simply having the courage to start building before everyone else is asking you to.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

MEDIA NETWORKS

AHMED AL SAHHAF DESIGNATION: CEO, MBC Media Solutions (MMS) YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 20 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

Born and raised in the region OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: President of the IAA KSA Chapter; Board Member of Arabiya United Digital – Egypt; Member of the Supervisory Board of Engineer Holding Group – KSA; Board Member, SMC Group; Board Member, UD Almeria.

l Sahhaf has more than 20 years of experience in the regional advertising and communications market. His career spans across Nestlé’s Dubai headquarters, Samba Financial Group and Saudi Telecom Company (stc). He currently oversees a 150-strong team that specialises in connecting brands and people with premium content to drive growth. MMS is also heavily focused on client services based on consulting and collaboration, developing strong relationships with media agencies and brands to deliver valuable insights and results.

RAPID FIRE One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Turning audience attention into meaningful impact. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Connecting global innovation with regional opportunity. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Adaptability. Words of advice to young leaders Stay curious and keep listening. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “Shlonak” by STA – a travel series showcasing Saudi Arabia’s cooler summer destinations through local storytelling. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Technology changes fast. Human insight remains essential.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Seeing Saudi Arabia’s media and advertising industry continue to gain global momentum, while playing a role in bringing international platforms, local talent and advertisers closer together.

POWER ESSAY: GLOBAL SCALE NEEDS LOCAL INTELLIGENCE It has never been easier for a global media platform to reach an audience anywhere in the world, but reaching people and truly connecting with them are two very different things. Technology can cross borders instantly; culture, context and consumer behaviour cannot. And as media becomes increasingly global, that distinction is making local knowledge one of the industry’s most valuable currencies. As media becomes more global, I believe we are entering a period where local knowledge is becoming more valuable, and the most successful global media businesses will increasingly be those that combine the strength of their technology, products and platforms with partners who understand the markets and audiences those businesses want to reach. This is particularly important in the MENA region. Our region cannot simply be approached as an extension of a global media plan. It is home to distinct cultures, languages and traditions, alongside rapidly evolving consumer behaviours and some of the world’s most digitally engaged audiences. Even within the region, what resonates in Saudi Arabia may differ significantly from what works in the UAE or Egypt. Understanding those differences requires more than translating an advertisement into Arabic. It means understanding the cultural moments that matter, the content people consume, how they consume it, and the expectations they have of brands. It also means understanding the local advertising ecosystem: the agencies, advertisers, commercial dynamics and relationships that turn media capabilities into meaningful business results. This is why I believe we will continue to see deeper partnerships between global media and technology companies and established regional players. For global platforms, the objective is not simply to enter a market. It is to become part of its media ecosystem. Local partners can provide the cultural intelligence, advertiser relationships and market expertise that help global capabilities translate into locally relevant opportunities. We are already seeing this model develop at MMS. In 2024, Samsung Ads

appointed MMS as the official Samsung TV Plus advertising partner across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, giving advertisers access to its connected TV advertising formats while combining Samsung’s technology with MMS’s regional advertising expertise. Connected TV illustrates particularly well why this combination matters. The technology may be global, but advertisers still need to understand how audiences in individual markets watch television, how CTV complements other media channels and how it can contribute to their specific marketing objectives. More recently, TikTok announced the appointment of MMS as an official advertising reseller in Saudi Arabia. Through the partnership, Saudi advertisers and agencies gain access to TikTok’s advertising ecosystem, including branded content, creator-led campaigns, performance tools and short-form video formats, supported by MMS’s local market expertise and execution capabilities. Again, the significance goes beyond representation. Platforms such as TikTok are global by design, but much of their power comes from their ability to feel intensely local. Culture, creators, humour, language and trends move differently from one market to another. Helping advertisers participate effectively in that environment requires people who understand both the capabilities of the platform and the cultural context surrounding the audience. These partnerships point to a wider evolution in the relationship between global and regional media companies. The future does not have to be global or local. The greater opportunity lies in combining the two: global technology, innovation and scale alongside local knowledge, relationships and cultural understanding. For publishers and platforms looking towards MENA, local expertise should therefore not be viewed simply as a route to the market. It should be viewed as a competitive advantage. Ultimately, reaching an audience is relatively easy. Understanding that audience – and earning its attention – is where the real value lies.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

MEDIA NETWORKS

SHARIF A. BADREDDINE DESIGNATION: Chief Value Officer, IMI YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 30 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 30 years

ith more than 30 years of experience in media and advertising, Badreddine is a strategic leader in commercial innovations, brand development and audience engagement. Prior to joining IMI, he served as Group Director of Commercial at MBC Group, where he led product innovation, alternative revenue streams and multi-platform brand solutions. His experience also includes leading global and regional brands such as Nestlé, Unilever, Kraft, Rolex and Orascom.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority The MENA region suffers from more than 80 per cent of its advertising budgets moving to global suppliers, leaving just around 20 per cent for a few hundred players. This makes many of them commercially unsustainable. Amending this should be an obligation for all of us. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Continue to innovate in media monetisation despite the paradigm shift caused by AI. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Be a forever learner. Words of advice to young leaders Never stop learning.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Changing the philosophy of revenue generation into value creation, and shaping how IMI approaches value creation at a time when the economics of media are rapidly changing. Audience behaviour, technology and advertiser expectations are all evolving at once, requiring media companies to rethink traditional commercial models. At IMI, this is part of a broader transformation focused on building a more integrated, technology-enabled media business that connects content, audiences and commercial opportunity more eﬀectively.

POWER ESSAY: ATTENTION REMAINS THE ULTIMATE CURRENCY – EVEN IN THE AGE OF AI Media has always had monetisation challenges. What keeps changing is the length of the format. It all began with the 30-second spot. The classic TV commercial had a simple job: capture attention, tell a story, create desire and leave before the audience reached for the remote. Then, the boundaries expanded. Audiences showed that they would happily give brands 30 minutes, sometimes longer, if the experience was entertaining or valuable enough. Branded entertainment was born and turned advertising into programming, and programming into a media asset in its own right. Today, three seconds can make or break a piece of content. A thumb pauses, a hook lands, a face registers, or the audience moves on. Attention has become both brutally measurable and brutally unforgiving. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) becomes particularly interesting. Not because AI will magically make advertising better. It will not. But it will fundamentally change the economics of creating, distributing, understanding and monetising content. For years, one of media’s biggest constraints was the cost and complexity of producing enough creative to keep pace with increasingly fragmented audiences, platforms and formats. AI is beginning to remove that constraint. One strong creative idea can become hundreds of executions across formats, languages, audiences, platforms, moments and contexts. Optimisation can move from post-campaign analysis towards continuous adaptation informed by real-time signals. But there is a catch. When everyone can make more content, simply making content becomes less valuable. The scarce resource is attention, and increasingly, qualified attention. Three seconds of passive scrolling is not the same as three seconds of genuine interest. Ten million impressions do not automatically translate into ten million meaningful connections.

This is where the next generation of media monetisation will be built: at the intersection of the science of attention and the art of earning it. The science gives us the signals: what stopped the scroll, what sustained attention, what prompted action, what resonated with which audience and in what context. The art turns those signals into something people actually want to watch, read, hear or experience. AI can help media businesses understand audiences better, personalise experiences and build smarter approaches to distribution and monetisation. But as technology becomes more deeply embedded across the media value chain, trust, quality and editorial integrity become even more important.

“In an AI-powered

media world, making more content will be easy; making someone care will remain the real business.”

Technology can make us faster and more efficient. It cannot replace the creativity, judgement and understanding required to make people care. The 30-second ad taught us how to compress a story. Branded entertainment taught us how brands could become part of culture. Shortform content is teaching us how quickly brands must establish relevance. AI will make the production cycle faster, smarter and infinitely more scalable. But in an AI-powered media world, making more content will be easy; making someone care will remain the real business.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

MEDIA NETWORKS

JAMES BICKNELL DESIGNATION: Group CEO, Multiply Media Group (MMG) YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 25 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION:

22 years

ames Bicknell is Group CEO of Multiply Media Group (MMG), a premium out-ofhome media group headquartered in Dubai, with operations across the UAE, UK and Saudi Arabia. His focus at MMG has been deliberately simple: build a better business, not simply a bigger one. That has meant selective expansion, stronger governance, common commercial standards and a clear focus on premium assets and markets where MMG believes it has a genuine right to win.

POWER ESSAY: DISCIPLINE WINS Everyone talks about growth. Growth is easy to talk about. You acquire a company. Enter a new market. Add more assets. Announce bigger numbers. Then comes the difficult part: making it work. That has been the real lesson of MMG’s first year. When we created Multiply Media Group, we brought together three strong UAE out-of-home (OOH) businesses under one organisation. A year later, what matters to me is not the announcement. It is what we built afterwards.

“The most important RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Material World by Ed Conway. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Measurement over vanity metrics. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Disciplined, purposeful growth. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Clarity under pressure. Words of advice to young leaders Stay curious. Learn AI. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months Burberry’s “It’s Always Burberry Weather”. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Simplicity scales. Complexity doesn’t.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR In MMG’s ﬁrst year, we did what we said we would do. We brought our UAE businesses together, expanded into the UK, entered Saudi Arabia and built a stronger organisation at the same time. Growth is easy to announce. Disciplined growth is much harder. That is what we delivered.

word is sometimes ‘no’. No to the wrong acquisition. No to bad economics. No to complexity for its own sake. No to growth that looks impressive but destroys value.”

We expanded into the UK. We entered Saudi Arabia. We strengthened the organisation behind the assets. And we did it deliberately. When we acquired a premium UK network and created BackLite UK, buying the assets was the easy part. Integration was the real work. Governance. Systems. Commercial standards. Accountability. The things that rarely make headlines are usually the things that determine whether an acquisition creates value. Saudi Arabia is the next test. We launched BackLite KSA in July because we believe strongly in the market. But belief is not enough. You need the right

assets, the right partner and the right economics. Then you execute. I would rather prove what we have built than spend a year telling everyone what we are going to build. The same principle applies inside the company. During our first year, MMG became a Great Place to Work and ranked among the Top 5 Best Workplaces in Media, Advertising and Marketing across MENA. That matters. A company that gets bigger while becoming worse to work for is not succeeding. It is accumulating problems. Our industry sometimes confuses activity with progress. More assets. More markets. More technology. More announcements. More is not always better. Better is better. That is why one of the biggest lessons I have learnt is simple: Simplicity scales. Complexity doesn’t. Every layer you add needs to earn its place. Every market needs a reason. Every acquisition needs an economic case. Every piece of technology needs to make the business better. AI, data, programmatic and measurement will transform our industry. We are investing seriously in all of them. But technology does not replace judgement. And it certainly does not replace discipline. The most important word in business is sometimes “no”. No to the wrong acquisition. No to bad economics. No to complexity for its own sake. No to growth that looks impressive but destroys value. Leadership requires ambition. But ambition without restraint becomes expensive very quickly. So, I am ambitious about MMG. Very ambitious. But I want growth we have earned. Growth we understand. Growth that creates value. That is the business we are building. Not growth at any cost. Disciplined growth.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

MEDIA NETWORKS

IMAD JOMAA DESIGNATION: CEO and Founder, JGroup YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 23 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 23 years OTHER ROLES: Founder of Promofix,

Promomedia and Almedia prior to consolidating them under JGroup. Investor in media ventures including Shazam.

omaa is a forward-thinking entrepreneur and investor recognised for his pivotal role in transforming the regional media and technology landscape. Under his leadership, JGroup has become a trusted regional partner for international platforms, bringing programmatic and data-driven capabilities to the market, and enabling brands to connect with audiences at scale. His approach blends entrepreneurial vision with a deep understanding of local business realities, supporting sustainable growth and long-term partnerships. He continues to guide JGroup’s strategic expansion and investment portfolio.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Transparent, AI-verified advertising measurement. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation We invested in JustAd, an AI platform that we are going to launch worldwide. One quality essential to leadership Uncompromising resilience with empathy. Words of advice to young leaders Build relationships before you need them. One ad you liked in the past 12 months Apple’s “Underdogs” campaign One thing you unlearnt in the past 12 months Unlearnt relying solely on myself.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR In 2025, JGroup became the oﬃcial Google reseller across Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Jordan, and expanded its Snapchat partnership into Turkey. It also expanded its TikTok and Amazon partnerships across a number of regions.

POWER ESSAY: HOW DO WE KNOW THIS IS ACTUALLY WORKING? Every conversation I have with clients across the GCC, Levant and North Africa eventually arrives at the same question: how do we know this is actually working? For most of my career, “working” meant a reach number, a frequency curve, a post-campaign deck built on historical benchmarks and a healthy dose of faith. That era is ending, and not fast enough. The advertising, brand and creative industry’s most urgent priority right now is not a new format, a new platform or even artificial intelligence itself. It is trust – specifically, trust in what we measure and how we measure it. Brands are spending more than ever on precisiontargeted, data-rich campaigns and yet many marketing leaders privately admit they cannot fully explain how their attribution numbers are produced, who audits them or why two platforms reporting on the same campaign rarely agree. That gap between spend and confidence is the single biggest risk our industry carries into the next few years. AI is often presented as the disruptor here, and it is – but not in the way most people mean. The real disruption isn’t that AI can optimise a media buy faster than a human planner. It’s that AI, applied honestly, can finally make measurement legible: transparent, auditable and consistent across the walled gardens that have made cross-platform comparison nearly impossible. Used the wrong way, though, AI becomes another black box stacked on top of the ones we already have – a faster engine producing numbers that nobody can fully explain. The difference between those two outcomes is entirely a matter of choice, and it’s a choice our industry has been slow to make. I’ll admit this shift required me to unlearn something I relied on for years: leaning on historical performance data as the safest predictor of what comes next. Historical metrics are comfortable. They are also increasingly disconnected from how people actually discover and respond to brands today, across fragmented attention and behaviours that change faster than any benchmark can be updated. The leaders who do well over the next decade will be the ones willing to treat measurement itself as a product that needs constant rebuilding,

not a fixed report refreshed quarterly. This is why, at JGroup, our priority for 2026 is deepening our own proprietary adtech capability rather than simply reselling someone else’s black box. It is not enough to plug AI into a media plan and call it innovation. The responsibility is to build – or partner deeply enough to genuinely understand – the systems doing the measuring, so that when a client asks how a number was produced, we have a real answer, not a dashboard screenshot. None of this is unique to our region, but it matters more here. The GCC, Levant and North Africa are among the fastest-growing advertising markets in the world, and fast growth without measurement discipline is how an industry earns a credibility problem it spends the next decade trying to undo. Because so much regional infrastructure is still being built

“My advice is

simple: Don’t let the sophistication of the technology become an excuse for opacity.”

rather than retrofitted, we have a rare chance to set a higher bar from the outset: measurement that is explainable, technology that is accountable and partnerships built around transparency rather than convenience. My advice to anyone building in this industry right now is simple: don’t let the sophistication of the technology become an excuse for opacity. Adopt AI aggressively, but insist on understanding what it’s telling you and why. Clients are not asking us to be flawless. They are asking us to be honest about what we know, what we don’t, and how we’re closing that gap. That is the standard our industry needs to hold itself to, and it’s the one I intend to keep holding JGroup to.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

MEDIA NETWORKS

MOHAMED MEGAHED DESIGNATION: Senior Vice President and Managing Director – Middle East, Africa and Turkey (MEA&T), Aleph YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: More than 20 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: More than 20 years OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: Vice President – Commercial and Business Development, Connect Ads; Managing Director – MENAT, Aleph.

egahed oversees Aleph’s commercial strategy, growth and business development. His leadership philosophy centres on people, partnerships and continuous learning, with a focus on developing local capabilities, connecting global technology with local market opportunities, and creating sustainable growth for partners, clients and teams across the region.

POWER ESSAY: SCALE OPENS DOORS; LOCAL RELEVANCE UNLOCKS GROWTH One of the biggest mistakes global platforms can make when entering high-growth markets is assuming that a successful go-to-market model can simply be replicated from one country to another. MEA&T – the Middle East, Africa and Turkey – represents some of the most exciting opportunities in the global digital economy, driven by young populations, increasing connectivity, rapid digital adoption and ambitious transformation agendas. But MEA&T is not one market. It is a collection of highly diverse markets, each with different levels of digital maturity, consumer behaviour, regulations, payment infrastructure, agency ecosystems and ways of doing business. Having worked across this region for many years, I believe the companies that succeed are those that combine global scale with genuine local understanding and execution. For global platforms, localisation must go much deeper than translating products or managing markets remotely. Having people on the ground matters. Local teams understand the business culture, build relationships with agencies and advertisers, identify opportunities earlier and, most importantly, create trust. In emerging markets, relationships remain a fundamental part of doing business. But presence alone is not enough. Payment infrastructure is another critical part of market development. In many markets, advertisers may want to invest with global platforms but face challenges around international payments, currencies, credit, taxation, invoicing or local regulations. Solving these operational barriers can be just as important as creating demand. Making it easier for advertisers to transact locally can unlock budgets that otherwise may never reach the global digital ecosystem.

The third element is education. Developing a high-growth market is not simply about competing for existing digital budgets; it is about expanding the overall opportunity. Platforms and their partners need to invest in educating advertisers, agencies and talent on new technologies, formats, measurement and best practices. When knowledge grows, confidence grows – and investment follows. This is why partnerships are becoming increasingly important. Not every global platform can – or should – build a full organisation and infrastructure in every market. The right partner can provide local teams, commercial infrastructure, payment solutions, market knowledge, relationships and education while maintaining the platform’s global standards. The role of agencies is evolving as well. With more platforms, data and technology available than ever before, agencies increasingly need to help clients navigate complexity, determine where to invest and demonstrate how digital advertising contributes to real business outcomes. Measurement will therefore become even more important. As the ecosystem becomes increasingly privacy-safe and fragmented, the conversation needs to move beyond impressions and clicks toward incrementality, outcomes and return on investment. After working across markets at very different stages of development, one lesson has remained consistent for me: there is no single playbook for high-growth markets. The winning model is to think globally but execute locally – combining technology and global capabilities with on-the-ground presence, education, payment infrastructure and strong local relationships. Scale creates opportunity. Local relevance turns that opportunity into sustainable growth.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Developing local talent and capabilities at the same pace as technology is evolving. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Bringing our capabilities across MEA&T closer together to unlock greater scale, knowledgesharing and growth. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Adaptability – the ability to listen, learn and evolve while keeping people aligned around a clear direction. Words of advice to young leaders Never stop learning. Stay curious, surround yourself with people who challenge you, and never assume that what made you successful yesterday will be enough tomorrow. One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months The Anthropic Super Bowl 2026 ad: “Can I Get a Six Pack Quickly?” One thing you’ve unlearnt in the past 12 months I’ve unlearnt the idea that leadership means having all the answers. The more responsibility you have, the more important it becomes to ask the right questions, listen to different perspectives and keep learning.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Taking on an expanded role across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, and bringing together diverse markets, teams and opportunities under one regional vision. Over the past year, we have also expanded our portfolio by scaling the business with leading global digital and social media platforms. We have continued to strengthen the longstanding business relationships that have been fundamental to our journey. We have also entered new markets and created greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing across our teams.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

MEDIA NETWORKS

NEZAR NAGRO DESIGNATION: CEO, Rotana Media

Services Holding

TOTAL YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 36 years TOTAL YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: 36 years OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES: Chairman, Rotana

Modern for Publicity and Advertising – Rotana Signs

asked with developing Rotana’s in-house advertising sales capability, Nagro has played a central role in building Rotana Media Services into one of MENA’s largest advertising sales houses, developing long-standing relationships with advertisers, agencies and media partners. With 36 years of experience in the media and advertising industry, he brings extensive knowledge of commercial strategy, media sales, client relationships and organisational leadership.

RAPID FIRE One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority A fairer distribution of value across the advertising ecosystem. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Profitable growth through operational efficiency, technology and stronger commercial execution. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Integrity. Words of advice to young leaders Patience. One thing you have learned during the past 12 months AI will not replace experience, but leaders who combine AI with experience will outperform those who don’t

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Giving younger executives greater responsibility within the organisation. Leadership succession cannot begin when a senior executive decides to leave. It needs to be built continuously. We focused on identifying talented people within the organisation, giving them greater exposure to decision-making and allowing them to lead important areas of the business. Promoting younger leaders also brings new thinking into the organisation.

POWER ESSAY: THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY DOES NOT HAVE A REVENUE PROBLEM – IT HAS A VALUE PROBLEM. The MENA advertising industry has changed dramatically. Audiences are fragmented across television, digital platforms, social media, outdoor media and emerging channels. Technology has created extraordinary opportunities to understand consumers, measure performance and deliver increasingly targeted advertising. Yet one fundamental question remains unresolved: How should value be distributed across the advertising ecosystem? Advertisers understandably want greater efficiency. Agencies face continuous pressure on margins. Media owners need to fund high-quality content and infrastructure. Technology platforms demand an increasing share of advertising expenditure. Sales houses are expected to deliver audiences, data, service and commercial results simultaneously. Everyone is being asked to deliver more. But the conversation often focuses primarily on reducing price rather than increasing value. That model cannot remain sustainable indefinitely. The future of advertising requires a healthier commercial ecosystem based on three principles: transparency, measurable value and partnership. First, the industry needs greater transparency. Advertisers should understand what they are buying, where their investment is going and what commercial outcomes that investment is expected to produce. Greater transparency builds confidence and reduces the temptation to evaluate media purely on price. Second, the industry must continue moving from selling inventory to demonstrating value. A television spot, digital impression or outdoor screen is ultimately only valuable if it contributes to an advertiser’s objective. Technology and artificial intelligence (AI) can play an important role here. Better data can help media companies and agencies understand audiences, optimise campaigns and measure results more effectively. But measurement should not create an obsession with short-term metrics. Not every advertising impact can be measured by an immediate click or conversion. Brandbuilding, awareness and consumer trust remain critical components of long-term business growth.

Third, relationships across the ecosystem need to evolve from negotiation towards partnership. Agencies, advertisers and media companies sometimes approach each other as though value gained by one side must automatically be value lost by another. The strongest relationships are different. They begin with a common question: How do we create better results for the advertiser while maintaining a healthy and sustainable media ecosystem? That requires fair commercial arrangements. If agencies cannot invest in talent, their service quality declines. If media companies cannot invest in content and platforms, audiences decline. And if advertisers cannot demonstrate returns, advertising budgets eventually decline. Everyone is connected. The next chapter of MENA advertising will therefore not be determined simply by who controls the most inventory or has the most technology. It will be determined by who can demonstrate the clearest value. The companies that succeed will combine technology with creativity, data with judgment, and commercial discipline with long-term partnerships. The objective should not be for one participant to take a larger share of a shrinking market. It should be to create a stronger ecosystem capable of growing the entire market. One-minute video script I have spent more than three decades in the media and advertising industry, and one thing I have learnt is that our industry never stops changing. Today, technology and AI are transforming how we understand audiences, measure campaigns and operate our businesses. But despite all this technology, the fundamentals remain the same. We need trust between advertisers, agencies and media companies. We need greater transparency. And most importantly, we need to focus on creating real value rather than simply competing on price. Another responsibility we have as leaders is developing the next generation. The future of this industry will belong to leaders who combine experience with new thinking. One piece of parting advice to younger leaders: Be ambitious, but be patient.

October 2026

THE MENA POWER LIST

October 2026

MEDIA NETWORKS

HABIB WEHBI DESIGNATION: Founder, Chairman and Group CEO of W Group Holding (Hypermedia & AiOO) YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 30 years YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION: 30 years OTHER ROLES / BOARD MEMBERSHIPS: Chairman of W Ventures Holding, overseeing W Group Holding, W Invest Holding and W Equity Holding; Member of YPO, Dubai Chapter; Member of TIGER 21

ehbi is leading W Group’s growth: strengthening Hypermedia’s physical media footprint while accelerating automation, programmatic capabilities, data, measurement and AI across the business. This transformation combines proprietary capabilities with technologies from global partners to create a more connected, efficient and intelligent media ecosystem.

RAPID FIRE Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months The Thinking Machine by Stephen Witt. One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Demonstrating measurable business impact. One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Building our next chapter. One quality you believe is essential to leadership Decisiveness in uncertainty. Words of advice to young leaders Believe. Decide. Keep moving. One thing that you’ve learnt in the past 12 months Circumstances change. My focus doesn’t.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE PAST YE AR Over the past year, we have accelerated Hypermedia’s transformation while continuing to expand its UAE footprint, integrating automation, programmatic, data and AI to make our media ecosystem more eﬃcient, intelligent and valuable. At the same time, we are building capabilities that can take what we have developed in Dubai into international markets.

POWER ESSAY: BUILDING FOR WHAT COMES NEXT When you have been building a business for more than 25 years, you learn that growth is rarely a straight line. Markets change. Technology changes. Customers expect more. At certain moments, you must decide whether to protect what you have built or use it as the foundation for something bigger. I have always believed in the second. When I founded Hypermedia, we built around a simple opportunity: being present where people live, move, shop and spend their time. Today, Hypermedia sits at the heart of W Group Holding, with a media network spanning transport, roads, malls, hypermarkets, destinations and communities across the UAE. But I have never seen scale as an end. What you build gives you a position. What you do with that position defines your future. Building ahead of the opportunity Dubai taught me early in my career that you do not build only for the opportunity you see today. You build for the one you believe will exist tomorrow. That mindset has shaped Hypermedia. We invested in transport media as Dubai’s mobility infrastructure transformed, expanded across retail and destinations as the consumer economy evolved, and invested in digitalisation well before digital out-of-home reached its current scale. Today, we continue to invest across roads, transport, retail, communities and landmark destinations because we believe physical infrastructure will become even more valuable as cities become more connected. I do not look at an asset only for what it can generate today. I look at where cities are growing, how people will move, where markets are evolving, and what advertisers will need tomorrow. That is the difference between buying inventory and building a business. Making our foundations work harder After more than 25 years of building physical scale, our responsibility is to multiply what that scale makes possible. Technology is important to that ambition, but technology itself is not the strategy. The strategy is to make our media more valuable, our business more efficient, and our partnerships more productive. Over the past year, we have accelerated automation across Hypermedia,

connecting processes that were once manual and fragmented. We are integrating programmatic trading, data, measurement, and AI into how we operate and what we deliver. We do this through both our own capabilities and technologies from global partners. I do not believe we need to build everything ourselves. Our role is to identify the right technologies, integrate them effectively, and use them to strengthen the entire ecosystem. We are also building capabilities that add a new layer of intelligence to the infrastructure we have built. AiOO is a key part of that evolution, bringing audience intelligence and measurement capabilities that strengthen Hypermedia while creating opportunities beyond our own network. This is not a collection of technology initiatives. It is a transformation of the business we have built. The infrastructure we built yesterday can become the platform for the businesses we build tomorrow. Thinking in decades As a founder, I believe one of the greatest risks is allowing past success to define the limits of future ambition. What worked for our first 25 years cannot automatically be the blueprint for the next 25. But neither should we abandon the strengths that brought us here. For W Group Holding, the opportunity is to build from those strengths. We will continue investing in premium physical media infrastructure and long-term partnerships through Hypermedia, while developing and integrating capabilities that make that infrastructure more connected, automated and intelligent. And we will take what we have learned from building in Dubai into new markets, with the same discipline that brought us here. More than 25 years after starting Hypermedia, I still ask the same fundamental question: not simply, “how big can this business become?” but “what do we need to build today to remain relevant tomorrow?” Markets will change. Technology will change. The opportunities will change. The responsibility of a founder does not. Build for the opportunity you can see. Invest for the one you cannot yet see.

October 2026

elcome to The MENA Power List 2026. True to its editorial purpose, this list brings together the most powerful and influential people from across the agency and media landscape.

This year, The MENA Power List has been reserved exclusively for leaders in C-suite roles such as chief executive officers (CEOs), chief financial officers (CFOs), chief growth officers (CGOs) and chief innovation officers (CIOs) from holding companies, global and regional networks, and media owners across the Middle East. These are leaders who have final sign-off on investments, budgets and resource allocation, high-value partnerships, executive hires, growth strategies, transformation priorities, market expansion, and mergers and acquisitions. The initial names on this list were recommended by government leaders and some of the most respected client-side marketers. What distinguishes this list is that every featured leader was also peer-recommended by other leaders included in the final selection. Each leader on The MENA Power List was offered the opportunity to recommend leaders they believed deserved a place on this list, with the caveat that they could only endorse peers from outside their own holding company, network group or organisation.

ANUP OOMMEN Editor

Anup.Oommen@motivate.ae

This list is not a ranking. Instead, it has been arranged alphabetically by surname, giving equal credit to catalysts of change, enablers of innovation, guardians of creativity, sources of generational wisdom and interpreters of evolving cultural intelligence. These are the leaders repeatedly identified by public-sector clients and brand-side marketers as trusted partners capable of delivering outcomes and unlocking growth. Through these pages, leaders on The MENA Power List 2026 also offer counsel. They cut through the industry noise around new tools and trends. They call for discipline: invest where value is real, restore trust and integrity, price work according to the value it creates, and stop using current market conditions as an excuse to devalue agency work while agencies carry the cost of talent, technology and business transformation. There is also a deeper moral current here. Power is not a plush chair in a spacious office. It is a responsibility to serve the region, clients, consumers, employees, society and each other. Leaders also pass on wisdom to those following in their footsteps: teach generously, learn deeply, reflect on feedback, protect culture, and do not outsource understanding or strategic thinking to any machine. The MENA Power List is not a celebration of ego; it is a reflection on the purpose of power. It is a call to use insight and influence with courage and care, because the future will not reward the first, the loudest or the largest. It will reward those who add value, solve real problems, remain commercially accountable and pave the way for growth.

The MENA Power List Cover designed by Thokchom Remy

Motivate Media Group Head Office: 34th Floor, Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 427 3000, Fax: +971 4 428 2266. Email: motivate@motivate.ae Dubai Media City: SD 2-94, 2nd Floor, Building 2, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: Motivate Advertising, Marketing & Publishing, PO Box 43072, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 657 3401, Email: motivate-adh@motivate.ae Saudi Arabia: Regus Offices No. 455 - 456, 4th Floor, Hamad Tower, King Fahad Road, Al Olaya, Riyadh, KSA. Tel: +966 11 834 3595 / +966 11 834 3596. Email: motivate@motivate.ae London: Motivate Publishing Ltd, Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER. Email: motivateuk@motivate.ae www.motivatemedia.com EDITORIAL: Motivate Media Group Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer | Managing Partner and Group Editor Ian Fairservice Group Content Director Thomas Woodgate | Campaign Middle East Editor Anup Oommen | Senior Reporter Ishwari Khatu | Junior Reporter Hiba Faisal DESIGN: Senior Designer Thokchom Remy ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne | Publishing Director Nadeem Quraishi (nadeem@motivate.ae) | Sales Manager Tarun Gangwani (tarun.gangwani@motivate.ae) | Senior Sales Executive Saif Hemdan (saifeldin.hemdan@motivate.ae) PRODUCTION: General Manager S. Sunil Kumar | Production Manager Binu Purandaran | Assistant Production Manager Venita Pinto HAYMARKET MEDIA GROUP: Chairman Kevin Costello | Managing Director Jane Macken The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Campaign Middle East includes material reproduced from the UK Edition (and other editions) of Campaign, which is the copyright of Haymarket. Campaign is a trademark of Haymarket and is used under licence. The views and opinions expressed within this magazine are not necessarily those of Haymarket Magazines Limited or those of its contributors.

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ISSUE 355. POWER LIST 2026

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JUDGES ANNOUNCED CHAIR OF JUDGES

MELANIE DE SOUZA

Destination Marketing Executive Director ROYAL COMMISSION FOR ALULA

JUDGING PANEL

REHAN LALANI

ROXANE MAGBANUA

MOHAMMAD ALJUHANI

BASSEM ABDUL GHANI

NABIL SLEIMAN

PASSANT EL GHANNAM

ALIA LOTFY

OMAR BIYARI

Media Lead - Arabia UNILEVER

CMO KFC - Americana AMERICANA RESTAURANTS

FAHEEM AHAMED

Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer G42

CX and Marketing Director AL-FUTTAIM KSA

Head of Marketing Communications ALMARAI COMPANY

Nivea Marketing Director MENA BEIERSDORF

Associate Director Marketing & Communications

MEA CMO KRAFT HEINZ

Communications & Advocacy Director SAUDI TOURISM AUTHORITY

KHALED ALSHEHHI

ELIAS EL RASSY

Director - Media & Digital Client Activations CARTIER

Head of Performance Marketing and Advertising PIF

BUTOOL RIZVI

OMAR SAHEB

ALI ASHRAF

Sr Marketing Director THE COCA-COLA COMPANY

MAI CHEBLAK

Head of Corporate Marketing, Consumer Education & Awareness EMIRATES NBD

CMO MENA SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

DONNA GLASPER

Executive VP - Brand, Marketing COMMS & CX, SHAMAL HOLDING

Date: 10 December 2026 Venue: The Plaza, JLT, Uptown Dubai

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