The inaugural edition of Campaign Middle East’s 40 over 40 issue is now out online. The June issue also includes features and insights on nation branding and destination marketing as well as Campaign Middle East’s annual Audio and Radio Guide 2026.
The issue profiles some of the recognised leaders who are actively who are actively contributing and shaping the creative, media, digital, integrated communications, adtech, experiential, production and influencer marketing spaces within the Middle East brand and marketing landscape.
The list, which is a not a ranking, showcases leaders across all types of agencies from holding companies, major network groups and independent agencies. Here are the 40 that made it to the pages this year.
Building a destination
This issue also takes a deep dive into how countries, cities and destinations are building their stories and marketing themselves. Leaders from across major brands and locations pitch in with their perspective on how they bring their destinations to life in media.
The cover feature for the month takes a look at the other side where marketers and agency leaders call for a shift from surface to substance, from attention to affection, from promises to on-ground proof, and frorm an obsession with footfall to consumer loyalty and advocacy that stand the test of time.
Marketers that weighed in include:
– Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of the Marketing and Communication Sector at the UAE Government Media Office;
– Saleh AlBreiki, Director of the Corporate Communication and Marketing Department at the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority;
– Naif Awlia, Senior Director for Tourism and Engagement at Diriyah Company;
– Sholto Douglas-Home, Chief MarComms and Sales Officer at Expo City Dubai;
– Donna Glasper, EVP – Brand, Marketing and Customer Experience at Shamal Holding;
– Lizelle Fitoussi, Marketing Director at Merex Investment;
– Ghassan Kassabji, CEO, IMPACT BBDO Dubai and Chief Growth Officer MENA, IMPACT BBDO Group;
– Lara Arbid, Chief Executive Officer at Initiative MENAT and Magna MENA;
– Deepak Mankani, Head of Strategy at Merkle MENA;
– Yasser Kaskas, Strategy Director for KSA at WPP Media MENA;
– Palak Mehta, Communications Director at HAVAS Red Middle East.
Marketing leaders further contributing to topic providing insight on destinations in UAE and Saudi Arabia include: The Royal Commission for AlUla’s Phillip Jones, Miral Destinations’ Badr Bourji, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority’s Serdar Senay, Diriyah Company’s Abdulrahman AlJefri, WPP Media’s Fahad Almaghrabi, dentsu KSA’s Karim Halabi, and DGA’s Sarah Alaoui.
In line with the theme of the magazine, this month’s Saudi Focus sees 5th Element’s Hatem Fakih delve in how Saudi Arabia is building a smarter tourism economy, while Fuse Integrated’s Abdulelah Al Nahari emphaises on how the days of global copy-paste creative strategies are over in Saudi Arabia.
Straight from the industry
In this month’s brand focus, marketers touch upon the importance of understanding and building communities.
Sony MEA’s Murat Gebeceli shares why the real opportunity for the industry lies in understanding how gaming communities are forming, what they value and how they are shaping culture in real time, while PUMA’s Jonathan Bannister explains the need for brands to build genuine relationships with local creatives, athletes and communities – not as vehicles for messaging, but as collaborators in a shared story.
Bringing together more industry perspectives, this month’s Industry Forum asked industry experts for their take on the rise of video podcasting diluting what made audio powerful in the first place. The question takes inspiration from this month’s guide which offers an perspective the aural medium.
The annual Audio and Radio Guide, which is also part of this issue, includes opinion from podcast and sonic branding experts such as Amp’s Reiner Erlings, Next Audio’s Lemya Soltani, The InHouse Agency’s Rasha Hamzeh. The guide also acts as a one-stop destinations for both traditional and digital, providing information on radio stations, podcasts and sonic branding agencies.
Read the complete 40 Over 40 and the annual Audio and Radio Guide 2026 here:
