Campaign Middle East’s Agency Faces to Watch 2026 issue is now out online. The feature profiles the brightest and best young talent aged 30 and younger working in agencies across the MENA region.
Nominated by their agency and backed by senior leadership, the young talent are the rising stars in creative, digital, PR and media agencies today and are set to be the who’s who of the industry in the future. Each individual category will be shared online shortly.
Gaming, esports and social media
While the main focus of the feature is on the young talent themselves, it also includes the new and upcoming industries that these young talents will be dealing with. The wider issue covers the rise of esports and gaming and takes a look at how brands are adapting to these new platforms while keeping up-to-date and aligning themselves with the dynamic social media platforms landscape.
This month’s cover story dives into esports as a growing channel for marketers. Featuring Mohammad Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, the story outlines why brands are steadily allocating greater portions of their budgets to gaming where engagement is measurable, deeper and more sustained in the long-term.
Further supporting the need for a greater focus on gaming, the issue also covers an in-depth report on gaming, launched by Dubai Media in partnership with Livewire. The study was conducted between August and September 2025 in the form of online quantitative surveys with 601 people, including Gen Z, millennials and Gen X in the UAE, of whom 12 per cent were Emiratis.
Meanwhile, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority’s Saleh Al Breiki shares why cultural localisation is becoming essential to brand storytelling in the Middle East.
On the social media front, We Are Social’s Danielle Bedin shares the need to move away from one-off campaigns and build unmissable arcs, while Dentsu Sports International’s Ali AlJehani explains the importance of the social feed for esports in amplifying moments and transforming them into shared cultural experiences.
The issue also dives into the current trend on social media – AI influencers and virtual creators. Industry experts shared their stance on if brands and agencies should continue investing in partnerships with these new technologies.
AI, sports and marketing focuses
This month’s Saudi Focus echoes similar themes of AI and sports. Serviceplan Arabia’s Sara Eid explaining why Saudi advertising must govern AI before it begins to governs the industry. MMS’ Abdullah Abutaleb shares his take on sport as an engine for culture, connection and commercial opportunity.
While on the brand side, HMD Global’s Haris Munif reveals how brands that are winning aren’t producing more with AI, but the ones that are thinking harder and Capital Bank Group’s Touleen Barto says that the one challenge the marketing industry must address on priority in 2026.
Read all the complete Faces to Watch 2026 issue below or here.
