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The View
Hubert Boulos
Hubert Boulos CEO Das Kapital Dekuple Group
Ian Philion
Ian Philion Strategic Adviser and Writer
Julien Gillet
Julien Gillet Head of Creative Strategy FP7 McCann Doha
Jessica Machalani
Jessica Machalani Head of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions - MENA
Anand Vengurlekar
Anand Vengurlekar Senior Lecturer in Innovation and Design Thinking INSEAD
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The Gulf, after the storm: Communicate’s October issue looks at what comes next

The Gulf, after the storm: Communicate’s October issue looks at what comes next

What happens when a market built on momentum is suddenly forced to slow down? That is the question at the heart of Communicate’s October issue, The…

Google tightens free access to Gemini AI models from October 9

Google will restrict access to its Gemini artificial intelligence models for users without paid subscriptions from October 9, limiting them to the Flash-Lite model as the…

NEWS

FC Bayern Academy sets sights on UAE’s next generation

FC Bayern has announced the establishment of the FC Bayern Academy UAE, bringing its football philosophy, coaching methodology and player-development standards directly to the United Arab…

NEWS

Saudi music company MDLBEAST cancels Soundstorm 2026, festival to return in 2027

Saudi music entertainment company MDLBEAST has cancelled this year’s edition of its Soundstorm music festival in Riyadh, which was scheduled to take place in December. The…

NEWS
Branded

Transparency in the storm: How the GCC managed crisis communication

By Hoda Rizk

Ounass expands into physical retail activations with Stage

By Communicate Staff

Aramco remains Middle East’s sole entrant in Kantar BrandZ global top 100

By Communicate Staff

From Homepage to Doorstep: How Lenovo’s Omnichannel Campaign with Amazon Ads Drove Success During Peak Shopping Season

By Communicate Staff
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Insights

A leading system: centralized cross-government media-buying

As countries across the region explore the idea of a centralized, cross-government media-buying unit*, one question remains: how can a single framework balance efficiency and coherence…

The Gulf luxury boom is creating a new advertising gold rush

The Gulf’s luxury market is no longer simply a retail story. It is becoming a major advertising story too, as global brands compete for affluent local…

INSIGHTS

Middle East’s independent agencies choose collaboration over competition

Independent agencies across the Middle East are being encouraged to work together more systematically under a new Collaboration Code designed to help them combine specialist capabilities,…

INSIGHTS

BYD looks to deepen its Gulf presence through technology 

Chinese automotive and technology company BYD is looking to deepen its presence in the Gulf by combining technology, local partnerships and cultural platforms such as football…

INSIGHTS
BRANDS

Al-Futtaim ditches stock photos, puts 40,000 real employees at the heart of employer brand

The Heart of Tomorrow is Al-Futtaim’s first-ever Group-wide employer brand, with no models, no scripts, just its own people across Dubai, Riyadh and Singapore. How do…

BRANDS

OMEGA celebrates Speedmaster heritage with new collection

Swiss watchmaker OMEGA welcomed guests to an exclusive event at its boutique in The Dubai Mall, celebrating nearly seven decades of the Speedmaster collection and unveiling…

BRANDS

BMW Motorrad celebrates Emirati Women’s Day with ride

BMW Motorrad Middle East and AGMC, the authorized BMW Motorrad importer in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, hosted a Female Community Ride bringing together 80 women…

BRANDS
AGENCIES

Are agencies actually using AI, or just selling it?

Fiona Menzies has a story that every CMO running an RFP process this year will recognize, even if they haven’t said it out loud yet. Eden…

AGENCIES

What is AI actually getting wrong in regional creative?

Start with the ad everyone actually remembers, because it makes the sharpest possible case that the industry keeps blaming the wrong culprit. In December 2025, McDonald’s…

COMMUNICATE-AI-HUB

Before the merger: Tarek Miknas’s last interview as FP7 McCann CEO

There’s a Cannes Lion holding open the door to Tarek Miknas’s office, another two doubling as bookends on a shelf that’s clearly run out of room.…

AGENCIES
The Gulf, After the Storm

The Gulf, After the Storm

September 2026
Cannes Lions Special Issue

Cannes Lions Special Issue

June 2026
The FMCG Crisis Playbook

The FMCG Crisis Playbook

March 2026
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Garnier BBDO

Pepsi

TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles

Fiat

Leo Burnett Italy

KIA

David&Goliath

Clash of Clans

Barton F. Graf

Ad of the week HSBC | VML UK

HSBC turns big-wave surfing into a story of timing and trust

Set against the powerful swells of Teahupoʻo, ‘The Right Wave’ follows surfer Matahi Drollet and jet-ski driver Tahurai Henry as they wait for the right moment to act. Their high-stakes partnership becomes a metaphor for navigating uncertainty, positioning HSBC as the experienced partner that helps clients recognise opportunities and move with confidence.

Ranking

MENA’S CREATIVE PULSE – TOP CAMPAIGNS

MENA creativity has entered its main character era. From AI-powered seat maps and blind football seats to seasoning-led fandoms and parking spots turned media space, the…

NEWS

Best Brands and Marketers

The Brands and Marketers Who Actually Won 2025 In 2025, marketing noise was everywhere. Visibility was easy to buy, reach was easy to inflate—but true distinction…

NEWS

Top 70 CEOS

Influence doesn’t always announce itself with titles or corner offices. Sometimes it’s quieter, moving people without visible force. To build this Top List, we looked beyond…

NEWS
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