W Group Holding Hypermedia’s Habib Wehbi on how data and AI are transforming OOH planning, measurement and accountability.
How has data and tech changed the way OOH campaigns are planned and measured in the past year?
The past year marked a decisive shift, from digitization to intelligence, from visibility to accountability. Data and technology have turned Out-of-Home into a precision medium, measuring real audiences in real time.
At W Group Holding, we’ve built this transformation from Dubai outward through an in-house integrated ecosystem that connects the full advertising chain. Hypermedia anchors the region’s most diversified DOOH network; DXTA Technology bridges it to online AdTech platforms like Gameloft, Petal Ads, social media, Google Ads; and AiOO powers it through IoT and AI, turning every screen into a data-rich touchpoint.
This isn’t imported innovation, it is home-grown technology, designed and built in Dubai for the world, delivering reach and accountability advertisers can trust.
What new formats or innovations in OOH have caught the most advertiser interest recently?
Traditional OOH was about places. Today, it’s about people.
With programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) technology, advertisers no longer buy locations, they buy audiences, in real time. Campaigns can now adapt instantly, react to live conditions, and measure verified exposure rather than estimated impressions.
For the first time, OOH delivers the same performance precision as digital, only with greater scale and visibility. It’s a first-of-its kind built in Dubai, now scaling globally, setting a new benchmark of how cities and brands connect. Advertisers no longer ask if their campaign worked, they see it working, moment by moment.
How do you see programmatic DOOH changing the relationship between buyers, media owners, and technology providers?
pDOOH is reshaping the value chain. It’s no longer about buying inventory; it’s about building connected ecosystems that link brands, data, and outcomes.
Globally, Retail Media is projected to surpass $200bn by 2026, becoming one of the fastest-growing ad channels. pDOOH extends this momentum into the physical world, where 80 per cent of sales still happen.
For media owners, it opens new revenue streams through data monetization and retail integration. For advertisers, it delivers measurable, real-time engagement along the shopper journey.
At W Group, we’re driving this convergence, combining Hypermedia’s exclusive DOOH footprint, DXTA’s online precision, and AiOO’s real-time audience intelligence to bridge media and commerce seamlessly.
Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities for OOH in the region?
As communication infrastructure merges with city infrastructure, growth will hinge on how fast markets adapt to that convergence. Dubai is already leading this evolution; operationalizing what the world still calls “smart media.” Here, mobility, retail, and technology converge within one connected urban framework.
This model will soon define how cities measure engagement, movement, and economic activity.
For W Group, it’s not about following digital trends; it’s about exporting a Dubai-born model globally, where Out-of-Home becomes the intelligent backbone of connected cities. Hypermedia is scaling it locally; AiOO will replicate it regionally and globally.
The next phase of OOH isn’t a competition of screens; it’s a competition of intelligence. And Dubai has already shown what that future looks like.
By Habib Wehbi, Chairman and Group CEO, W Group Holding (Hypermedia, DXTA, AiOO)
