9Yards Communications has appointed Fadi Zeidan as head of media, effective November 2, as the UAE-based agency seeks to strengthen its media capabilities and expand its regional and international presence.
Zeidan will oversee the agency’s media planning and buying operations, focusing on building capabilities, strengthening client relationships and integrating media more closely with strategy, public relations and creative advertising.
He brings more than 20 years of experience in the MENA media industry. Before joining 9Yards, he served as regional managing director at Equation Media, part of The Network Communication Group. He previously worked as regional business lead at Initiative MENA, where he led a team of 30 professionals and managed integrated media strategies for more than 40 brands. Earlier, he spent 17 years with Starcom Publicis.
Commenting on the appointment, Karim Fattal, managing director of 9Yards Communications, said: “Media has always been an important part of how brands build relationships with audiences and deliver business results; however, today, with the need for increasingly targeted approaches, this has become a more complex discipline that requires out-of-the-box thinking.
“As 9Yards Communications continue to grow, we want to build a media offering that goes beyond planning and buying, bringing together strategic thinking, strong execution and accountability. Fadi brings leadership experience and commercial understanding to help us achieve that ambition.”
Zeidan said: “The media landscape in this region has changed significantly over the past few years. Audiences are more fragmented, platforms are multiplying and clients are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the value of their investments. I believe the opportunity is to move beyond treating media as a standalone discipline and make it an integral part of how brands approach their business challenges.
“9Yards has an interesting proposition, with strategy, creative, PR, and media capabilities coming together under one roof. My focus will be on building a media function that combines strong strategic thinking, data-led planning and commercial discipline, while creating the right foundations to support our clients and the agency’s ambitions as we grow across the region.”
Founded in 2017 by Hussam Almulhem, 9Yards Communications is the flagship agency of 9Yards Holding. The independent integrated communications agency has grown from an initial team of 10 to more than 160 employees, with a regional and international presence.
