Saudi Arabia climbed to several spots on the Cannes Lions 2025 rankings from the 23rd to 15th spot, while the UAE stayed within the top 10.
Saudi Arabia went up from 23rd in the country rankings in 2024 to 13th in 2025, a big year-on-year gains. Riyadh also entered the top global city list at 15, entering the rankings for the first time.
UAE remained MENA’s highest-ranked market at 10th, dropping two positions from the last year. Dubai continued to perform consistently, placing 12th among cities.
A major contributor to the Saudi’s success was BigTime Creative Shop, which recorded a standout year. The Riyadh-based independent agency not only topped the list of MENA agencies in 2025, but it also ranked first globally on the Independent Agency: Entertainment. The s
