First wave of judges revealed: Agency of The Year Middle East

Campaign’s Agency of The Year Middle East has revealed the first additions to its highly esteemed jury for its 2026 awards.

This first wave of ten judges have been selected for their seniority, cross-sector expertise and sharp understanding of the media, advertising, marketing and communications industries.

These marketers have built brands, led strategy, and navigated the shifting currents of media and marketing in the Middle East. Now, they’re turning their attention to naming the region’s best agencies at the Agency of The Year Middle East 2026 awards.

Agencies submitting to the awards stand a chance to be named the best in the region within their respective fields across creative, digital, marketing, media, digital, PR and production.

Winning an Agency of The Year Middle East 2026 award gives your agency exposure and positions how effectively it works in front of potential clients. Shortlists and winners will be given editorial coverage in Campaign Middle East, with more than 30k newsletter subscribers and 100,000 monthly page views. Being shortlisted provides a unique platform to promote your agency and talent and boost morale.

Entries can be made at a discounted rate for the early bird deadline of August 6, 2026. Enter now for a chance to be recognised as the best in the region.

To download the full entry kit, click here.

Advice from the jury:

Ahmed El Gamal, Executive Director of Marketing

Question: What ‘top tip’ would you give to entrants when they are creating their entry?

Either show your consistency to protect your turf, or show us a great comeback story. Write your entry for a juror who has read forty submissions before yours and will read forty more after it. That means leading with the business challenge and the outcome rather than burying them under three paragraphs of agency credentials, because the judges are not scoring who you are, they are scoring what you understood, what you did about it, and what changed as a result.

Dina Jreissati, Group Executive Director- Marketing & Communications, Modon Holding

Question: Describe the Agency of the Year Middle East Awards in 3 words.

Credible. Fair. Best of class.

Elias El Rassy, Director – Media & Digital Client Activations, Cartier

Question: What do you think creates a winning entry?

A winning entry must be sharp, innovative and business oriented.

Mohammad Aljuhani, Associate Director, Marketing & Communications

Question: What ‘top tip’ would you give to entrants when they are creating their entry?

Lead with the business problem and the measurable outcome. Juries see hundreds of entries. The ones that land are the ones where the case is told with discipline and evidence.

Nabil Sleiman, Head of Marketing Communications, Almarai Company

Question: What ‘top tip’ would you give to entrants when they are creating their entry?

The industry is shifting globally at a scale that we have not seen recent history. This will shape how agencies will look like in the future. The agencies that are capable of identifying this first will be the agencies that will shape this future.

Passant El Ghannam, MEA CMO, Kraft Heinz

Question: Describe the Agency of the Year Middle East Awards in 3 words.

Fair, bold and impactful.

Rehan Lalani, Media Lead – Arabia, Unilever

Question: What do you think creates a winning entry?

A winning entry is a tight growth story — not a campaign recap. It starts with a real business challenge, makes bold strategic choices, and proves impact with numbers that matter.

Agency of

Roxane Magbanua, CX and Marketing Director, Al-Futtaim KSA

Question: What ‘top tip’ would you give to entrants when they are creating their entry?

My top tip is to go beyond showcasing agency metrics and demonstrate how your work created tangible business value. The strongest entries clearly show how the agency deeply understood the client’s business challenges, acted as a strategic partner, and delivered measurable business impact. Highlight not just what was achieved, but how the collaboration drove growth, solved business problems, and contributed to outcomes that mattered beyond traditional agency KPIs.