From left, IAB MENA Vice Chair Elie Milan and IAB MENA Chair Nisrine GhazalThe IAB MENA held its General Assembly on 27 January 2026 during which it announced the new Board for a two year term for the 2026-2027 period.
The new board consists of 15 companies representing agencies, tech platforms, and publishers and sales houses, including Publicis Media, Omnicom Media Group, Havas Middle East, MCN, WPP Media, Amazon, Bytedance, Google, Snap, The Trade Desk, Multiply Media Group, Choueiri Group, MBC Group, Rotana Media Services (RMS) and W Group.
Michel Malkoun, Chief Growth Officer of Choueiri Group stepped down from the Chair role, having served the maximum consecutive terms. The new board representatives subsequently elected Nisrine Ghazal, Vice President – Digital, RMS, as Chair, and Elie Milan, Chief Performance Officer, Publicis Media Middle East as Vice Chair.
Commenting on his experience with IAB MENA, Michel Malkoun said, “Serving as Chair of IAB MENA has been a privilege and a meaningful chapter in my professional journey. Over the past years, we have strengthened the organization’s governance, expanded membership, elevated industry standards, and reinforced IAB MENA’s role as a trusted voice for the digital ecosystem across the region.”
Malkoun added, “These achievements are a testament to the dedication of our Board, members, and team. As I step down in line with the term limits, I am confident the newly elected Board will build on this strong foundation. I extend my full support and wish Nisrine Ghazal and Elie Milan every success in leading IAB MENA into its next phase of growth and impact.”
Commenting on her election to the Chair, Nisrine Ghazal, said, “I am honoured to take on the role of Chair of IAB MENA and grateful for the trust of the Board. Building on the progress achieved to date, the organisation is entering its next phase of growth and industry influence.
Ghazal added, “Guided by the collective input of IAB MENA members, my focus will be on strengthening collaboration across publishers, agencies, and technology platforms, and on advancing standards and initiatives that meaningfully support the market. I look forward to working closely with the Board, the Vice Chair, and the Executive Director to ensure IAB MENA continues to serve the entire ecosystem and help shape a sustainable future for digital advertising in the region”
IAB MENA Vice Chair Elie Milan said. “It’s an honour to serve as Vice Chair and to build on what Michel and the Board have achieved. The focus now is on strengthening trust and accountability across our industry, publishers, agencies, and platforms working together on delivering clear value and impactful standards that drive the MENA ecosystem forward. IAB MENA has the right members around the table to make meaningful progress, and I’m looking forward to contributing to that.”
At the General Assembly, Ian Manning, Executive Director, updated members on the activities of the past year, highlighting the scope, quality and volume of new resources available to members. He also shared plans for 2026 which include doubling down on some of the bigger challenges and opportunities in the industry, alongside more member engagements and content rich events supported by some top-class global speakers.
Members were given the opportunity to share their inputs into the further development of the association as it shifts from providing much needed local resources to setting the industry’s standards for a more trustworthy, sustainable and successful industry.
