Global marketing and advertising forecasts for 2025–26 suggest continued growth in ad spending, driven by artificial intelligence, retail media and data-led platforms — trends that are increasingly shaping strategies across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets as well.
According to global industry projections compiled by WARC, total advertising investment worldwide is forecast to reach $1.3 trillion by 2026, representing 9.1 per cent year-on-year growth. The outlook reinforces expectations that digital channels will continue to command the bulk of marketing budgets, even as traditional media faces sustained pressure.
WPP, the world’s largest advertising group, has also forecast sustained momentum in advertising investment. In its latest outlook, the group said advertising growth in the media and entertainment category is projected at 6.3 per cent in 2026, underlining what it described as “continued strong investment in advertising” globally.
A central pillar of these forecasts is the accelerating role of artificial intelligence in marketing operations. Global industry commentary increasingly points to AI becoming embedded across campaign planning, targeting, creative testing and media buying. At the same time, analysts stress that AI is expected to augment — rather than replace — human-led strategy and storytelling.
Industry forecasts cited by technology futurists suggest that more than 80 per cent of digital advertising could be managed by AI systems by 2028, with minimal human intervention in execution. Reflecting this shift, The WSJ reported that Meta Platforms aims to fully automate advertising using generative AI tools by 2026, allowing brands to generate, target and optimise ads at scale.
At the same time, content strategy is becoming more localised. Global forecasts emphasising authenticity and human-led storytelling are being adapted in the GCC to account for bilingual audiences, cultural nuance and platform-specific consumption patterns. Regional marketing executives argue that campaigns perceived as generic or overly automated risk losing relevance in a market where credibility and cultural alignment remain critical.
Taken together, global marketing predictions point to a future defined by AI-driven efficiency, retail-centric media buying and sustained digital growth. In the GCC, these forces are being shaped by local market realities — producing a marketing landscape that blends advanced technology with region-specific storytelling and strategy.
