On 13 February 2026, Campaign Middle East will host its annual Ramadan Advertising and the Year Ahead breakfast briefing at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi.
A room full of senior marketers, agency leaders, media owners and adtech specialists will gather for a morning focused on making meaningful marketing count during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Conversations will also look beyond Ramadan. Speakers will unpack the trends shaping 2026, from connecting with hyper-local communities to making smarter choices around budgets, time and resources. Expect practical insights on how brands can be more distinctive, culturally sensitive and socially impactful in the year ahead.
The event agenda features dynamic formats designed to spark real debate, including live on-stage discussions, panels and educational keynote sessions. Beyond the stage, the morning is designed to encourage purposeful networking, with time set aside for peer-to-peer conversations with professionals across the industry.
FULL VIDEO
HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO
When: 13/02/2026 8:00 AM
Where: The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi (location map)
Agenda
8:00am: Registration & Breakfast
9:00am: Welcome Address by Nadeem Quraishi, Publishing Director, Campaign Middle East
9:05am: Chair’s Opening Remarks by Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East
9:15am: Keynote: Rethinking brand presence in kids and family content
As regulators, parents and platforms scrutinise how brands show up in Gen Z and Gen Alpha media, this keynote challenges the traditional definition of advertising. It examines how embedded animated characters can serve narrative and educational roles inside children’s series, delivering brand value through story participation rather than interruption – especially during Ramadan, when cultural sensitivity and ethical marketing are non-negotiable.
Keynote speakers:
– Julia Nikolaeva, General Manager, Animotion Media Group
– Olga Doldo, Chief Marketing Officer, Animotion Media Group
9:30am: Panel: Brand vs. Performance: Finding balance in Ramadan campaigns
Ramadan amplifies the tension between building long-term brand equity and driving immediate performance. This panel explores how marketers can harmonise storytelling, cultural resonance and purpose-driven campaigns with measurable ROI. Speakers will discuss how unified adtech and martech stacks, attention metrics, and real-time personalisation enable brands to deliver emotionally compelling experiences while optimising conversions – proving that during the Holy Month, brand building and performance need not compete, but can complement each other.
Panel speakers:
– Anne Tulloch, Divisional Marketing Director – Wellness, Alshaya Group
– Mai Cheblak, Head of Corporate Marketing, Emirates NBD
– Mathieu Yarak, Head of Data, MBC Media Solutions (MMS)
– Hugues Raingeard, Head of Performance Media, HAVAS Media Middle East
Moderator: Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East
10:00am: Keynote: When agentic AI runs the marketing funnel
This presentation will break down what agentic AI means for modern marketing teams: moving beyond “AI that helps” to systems that can run the work – connecting research, planning, creative iteration, measurement and optimisation into one continuous loop.
The keynote will spotlight where this shift actually creates leverage, where human judgment must remain non-negotiable, and why so much performance is lost in the execution gap: slow handoffs, delayed fixes, and optimisation that arrives after the moment has passed. This will be a sharp look at what’s emerging next and the specific workflow upgrades marketing leaders should start prioritising now.
Keynote speaker:
– Neel Pandya, Founder and Global CEO, Climaty.AI
10:15am: Panel: Ramadan storytelling: Setting 2026 standards for attention, intent and trust
Ramadan is no longer just a seasonal spike – it’s a benchmark for meaningful engagement. This session explores how brands can set new standards in 2026 by earning attention, signalling intent and building trust through culturally intelligent storytelling, respectful media choices and partnerships that add real value during the Holy Month.
Panel speakers:
– Jonathan Bannister, Head of Marketing – GCC, PUMA Middle East
– Carla Klumpenaar – GM of Marketing, Communications & Interior Design, Al-Futtaim IKEA
– Alain Mayni, Head of Tech, Media, Disruptors & Professional Services, Meta MEA
– Jack Sivzattian, Manager – Partner Sales & Anghami Studios, Anghami & OSN+
Moderator: Shantelle Nagarajan, Reporter, Campaign Middle East
10:45am: ‘Ask Me Anything’: Redefining marketing impact in 2026
In 2026, marketing is no longer judged by how loud it is or how much it adds to the noise; instead, it is judged by how useful it is in driving brand, business and social outcomes. As budgets tighten and scrutiny intensifies, leadership teams are asking tougher questions about impact, relevance and return on investment.
This session provides an open forum to our audience to ask industry experts questions about how the Middle East can moving from activity-led execution to outcome-driven strategy. What does a good client-agency relationship look like? What does value look like beyond impressions and engagement? Expect a candid discussion on redefining success metrics, prioritisation and the evolving role of marketing as a strategic business function.
Panel speakers:
– Alka Winter, Vice President – Destination Marketing and Communications, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)
– Ali Rez, Regional Chief Creative Officer, IMPACT BBDO
– Joe Lahham, Managing Director, TBWA\RAAD
– Remya Menon, Director of Marketing and Communications, Bayut
Moderator: Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East
11:15am: Networking session
For sponsorship opportunities and for event tickets details, please email Tarun Gangwani at [email protected] or call 052 1466150