By Jalal Khanfour, Chief Commercial Officer, Al-ArabiaFor years, advertisers in our region have experimented with programmatic out-of-home (OOH), but without scale, it has remained on the margins of media plans.
Over the past decade, Al-Arabia has transformed from a static OOH media owner into a digital-first company, with 100 per cent of our network now digital.
This global-scale advancement positions the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia among the top 10 markets worldwide in digital out-of-home (DOOH) penetration.
We are now taking the next step in that evolution with programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH). Our first programmatic screens will launch in Dubai, a milestone that will finally give the market something it has long been waiting for, scale.
From fragmented to scalable
Until now, Dubai’s pDOOH market has been small and fragmented. With only a limited number of screens available to demand-side platforms, reach has been restricted, and campaigns have struggled to achieve meaningful coverage.
For advertisers, programmatic has too often been treated as an add-on rather than a central part of their media strategy.
Al-Arabia’s entry will change this dynamic. By opening up inventory at scale, we will exponentially increase the levels of reach available through programmatic platforms.
“For advertisers, programmatic has too often been treated as an add-on rather than a central part of their media strategy.”
The automation that programmatic brings ensures this scale is not just theoretical but practical, removing friction from the buying process, speeding up activation, and making campaigns more adaptable in real time.
This combination of automation and premium inventory is what we believe will transform pDOOH into a reliable marketing solution.
For the first time, advertisers and agencies will have the ability to build programmatic campaigns with the reach and impact needed to stand alongside other digital channels.
Saudi Arabia on the horizon
While Dubai is our starting point, Saudi Arabia is where programmatic has the potential to reach its greatest scale.
The Kingdom’s rapid development, coupled with the ambitions of Vision 2030, makes it one of the most exciting media markets in the world.
Doing things the right way
Al-Arabia’s philosophy is simple: programmatic cannot just exist; it must deliver value. That is why we are investing in the right technology, aligning with international standards, and working closely with agencies and advertisers to educate the market.
Our aim is not to position programmatic as another sales channel, but to create an ecosystem that brands believe in and agencies can confidently plan around.
By doing things the right way, step by step, we will make sure that programmatic OOH in the region has the scale, reliability, and long-term impact it deserves.
Looking ahead
Al-Arabia’s launch of pDOOH in Dubai will be a step change for the market. It will transform programmatic from a fragmented, limited proposition into a solution that finally delivers the reach and scale advertisers have been waiting for.
For Al-Arabia, programmatic is not the end point, but a new chapter in our evolution. By combining automation with scale, we will change the way OOH is planned, bought, and experienced across the region.
By Jalal Khanfour, Chief Commercial Officer, Al-Arabia
