Dani Richa has been the Chairman of BBDO Europe, Middle East and Africa for 35 years.
When I think about the region, I reflect on a wise statement by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on how each of us must survive.
To quote “With each new day, a gazelle wakes up knowing he must outrun the fastest lion or perish. At the same time, a lion stirs and stretches, knowing he must outrun the fastest gazelle and it is no different for the human race. Whether you are a gazelle or a lion, you have to run faster than others to survive.”
In my past 30 years I have watched KSA, UAE, Qatar and our region in general, not just outrun its competitors but turn survival into international success.
Where once the world focused on our challenges, it now respects the extraordinary leadership and progress we have made so far. Where once our identities took the back seat to the West, we now have a renewed pride in the social and economic transformation our region is witnessing.
Today, our economies are among the richest and most vibrant on the planet. Our Sovereign Wealth Funds investing not just in AI, smart cities, infrastructure, and tourism, the likes of NEOM, but also vital partners driving global growth.
Our companies such as Etisalat transforming into a global technology and investment conglomerate. Saudi Aramco now the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals company. Etihad and other regional airlines are transforming aviation and travel across the world.
The rise of unicorns in our region is also a testament to our booming ambition. Global investors are now turning to us as a centre of innovation and, if realised, the recent estimate that we are projected to see 250 unicorns in the Middle East by 2030 will disrupt the global status quo.
Our communications and marketing industry has been at the heart of this transformation.
We have placed a spotlight on the vision and ingenuity of our region through the ideas we have developed and beamed around the world. Working as partners, we have helped shape brands from the day they were conceived through to becoming the global leaders they are today.
Over the last 18 years I have watched ad spend increase eight-fold in MENA, to exceed an estimated $10.8 billion this year. As part of this, fueled by digital transformation and a dominant younger demographic, we expect to see digital spend exceed $7.9 billion by 2024.
Furthermore, this is being accelerated by creative hubs such as Media City in KSA, Media City in Dubai and twofour54 in Abu Dhabi. Also, with the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy in place, they are aiming to double the contribution of creative industries to the UAE GDP by 2025 – the potential impact is huge.
This isn’t just about the economic impact on growth as we are being recognised internationally for our creativity which is now at the top of global rankings. As part of this, at Cannes Lions this year, we saw success for the region with work presented for AnNahar Newspaper, ‘Schoolgirls’ empowerment and ‘Hunger Station’. Winning the region 2 Grand Prix and a Glass Lion, as well as a multitude of other Lions.
I am proud that at BBDO we contributed two of these big winners for the region, as it recognises that with inspiring ideas we can generate huge impact. All this courage and boldness doesn’t just fuel big ideas and make us a global creative hub but is also a lighthouse for talent, because they can make a real difference here.
At BBDO they can do work with meaning and hope and make unique contributions. In this region they can wake up every morning, whether a gazelle or lion, and know they will have the freedom to outrun the fastest and re-write the rules along the way. As an industry we are not surviving any more, we are excelling and nothing can hold us back.
“This courage and boldness doesn’t just fuel big ideas and make us a global creative hub but is also a lighthouse for talent”
