Gagan Uppal, Country Head MENA, Xapads Media.The possibilities awaiting advertisers today are extraordinary, driven by viewers who have evolved into explorers, shoppers, and decision-makers navigating seamlessly across screens. This cross-device lifestyle is redefining how brands show up.
With ad spend in MENA projected to reach USD 19.96 billion in 2025 and digital channels expected to command over 76 per cent by 2030 , the region’s marketing momentum is undeniable.
For instance, a viewer planning a trip discovers a travel app while streaming a series on their smart TV, sees a reminder ad on their phone the next morning, and books a package by evening. That’s the new “big screen-to-buying screen” journey, powered by connected data, contextual delivery, and one unified intelligence layer.
This shift is being shaped by three key trends that will define success in the coming years, supported by the right partner tools built to address them.
Context-aware CTV solutions
Streaming penetration is surging across MENA – 94 per cent of internet users in the UAE are active on YouTube, and 65 per cent of residents stream content daily via Connected TV.
For advertisers, the big screen has become a high-impact entry point into a multi-touchpoint journey but only when paired with granular context, creative relevance, and outcome-based measurement.
According to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook, MENA’s CTV ad spend is growing at more than 30 per cent year-on-year, faster than global averages, making it the region’s next performance frontier.
For example, a consumer-electronics brand running a smart TV campaign can instantly retarget engaged viewers on mobile with contextual relevant offers creating a frictionless flow from discovery to decision.
A unified performance platform
The fragmentation of screens and channels in MENA from CTV to mobile video and display, demands one “brain” that can plan, launch, optimize, and measure across them all
Research indicates that digital advertising in the region is moving beyond basic social or display formats, trending toward richer, measurable channels such as CTV and in-app video.
A unified intelligence layer eliminates overlap, aligns identity and frequency management, and directly ties big-screen reach to lower-funnel outcomes such as site visits, app installs, and purchases.
Think of a regional retail brand using a single platform to manage both CTV branding campaigns and mobile performance ads. With a unified interface, the brand can easily track consistent frequency capping, creative sequencing, and cross-screen reporting.
This approach resolves the long-standing division between TV, which was for branding, and digital, which was for performance. Now, it is becoming TV and digital, with performance being the default.
Outcome-tuned video everywhere
Finally, future success will depend on outcome-tuned video formats that are shoppable, interactive, and optimized in real time for CPA or ROAS.
In MENA’s mobile-first economy, video ad spend continues to grow strongly, and formats that drive action consistently outperform traditional ones. This helps advertisers tackle creative fatigue (one-size-fits-all ads), siloed measurement (CTV detached from conversion), and lagged learning loops (weeks instead of days).
The result is big-screen reach that naturally flows into buying screens. For instance, a beauty brand can run an interactive CTV spot where viewers scan a QR code to “Shop the Look,” then receive personalized mobile offers all tracked within one unified performance ecosystem
In this light, the idea of “From Big Screen to Buying Screen: Mapping the Seamless Cross-Device Funnel” isn’t marketing fluff, it’s a roadmap. It means starting with premium CTV reach in the living room and extending that exposure across mobile, tablet, and desktop touchpoints through one unified engine. It also means channel-agnostic planning, context-aware delivery, a unified identity spine, real-time optimization, and outcome-centric ad formats.
If you’re an advertiser in the MENA region ready to move beyond reach and start scaling outcomes, focus on three pillars: context-aware CTV, a unified performance platform, and outcome-tuned video formats.
These align perfectly with the trends shaping 2026 and directly address the region’s core challenges of signal loss, channel fragmentation, and measurement ambiguity.
As we look toward 2026, performance will become the true operating system of digital advertising. When the big screen understands context, when every screen runs on one unified intelligence, and when video is designed for outcomes by default, the gap between impression, intent, and purchase disappears.
The advertisers who thrive will be those who connect stories, screens, and outcomes into one seamless journey.
By Gagan Uppal, Country Head MENA, Xapads Media
