Eleven more brand marketing leaders join the 2025 Agency of the Year Middle East awards' jury. Campaign Middle East has revealed the third wave of judges for the fourth edition of its annual Agency of the Year Middle East (AOTYME) 2025 awards.
Eleven judges join the awards’ jury, chosen for their seniority, cross-sector expertise and sharp understanding of the media, advertising, marketing and communications industries. They operate in markets spanning the entire Middle East region.
This selection of judges for the 2025 AOTYME awards have built brands, led strategy, and navigated the shifting currents of media and marketing in the Middle East. Now, they’re turning their attention to the region’s best agencies.
The deadline to submit for the awards is fast approaching on Thursday, 18 September.
Submit your entry here.
Winning an Agency of The Year Middle East 2025 award gives your agency exposure and positions how effectively it works in front of potential clients. Shortlists and winners will be given editorial coverage in Campaign Middle East, with more than 20k newsletter subscribers and 90,000 monthly page views. Being shortlisted provides a unique platform to promote your agency and talent and boost morale.
To ensure the awards are fair, MediaSense audits the entire judging process to ensure judges’ decisions are objective and based only on the entry in front of them.
See all the AOTYME 2025 judges here
Furthermore, to give agencies a better chance at being named a winner, judges have share their top tips for what they will look out for when reviewing submissions. Here’s what they recommend:
Aimee Peters, Regional Head – Brand and CIB Marketing, HSBC
Top tip: “Seek brevity to drive impact”
Dima Malibary, Brand Director, Qiddiya
Top tip: “Tell a story that ONLY your agency can tell, wrap the impact with emotions, your results with relevance and your vision with boldness.”
Omar Saheb, CMO MENA, Samsung Electronics
Top tip: “Be brief, to the point and make sure you entry standouts while showcasing results.”
May Youssef, Communications and Corporate Marketing Director, Canon
Top tip: “Show originality and courage‚ highlight where you took risks, challenged norms, or broke new ground.”
Melissa Bayik, Chief Brand Officer, Arada
Top tip: “Lead with purpose, prove with impact, and keep entries human.”
Mitin Chakraborty, Head of Marketing, Babyshop
Top tip: “An agency isn’t defined by one big win, it’s defined by how all the moving parts work together. Show us the thinking, the doing, and the glue that holds it all together. Make it wholesome, and let your entry reflect the love, care, and brick-by-brick effort that built your credibility.”
Mohamed Al Awadhi, Vice President, Personal Banking Marketing, First Abu Dhabi Bank
Top tip: “Stay both relevant and authentic‚ reflecting the region’s unique cultural values, traditions, and aspirations.”
Natasha Vaughan-Jeremy, Founder / Fractional CMO, The Luxe Narrative
Top tip: “I would be curious to learn more about the story behind the results and business case shared and what, if anything, the entrant would have done differently.”
Sholto Douglas-Home, Chief Sales & MarComms Officer, Expo City Dubai
Top tip: “Drop ANY hyperbolic language – it weakens the case rather than strengthens it.”
Simon Shaw, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, King Salman Park Foundation
Top tip: “Agencies should be platforms that unleash creativity, not hierarchical structures that cage it …”
Waqas Amin, Director of Creative Services Department, Royal Commission for Riyadh City
Top tip: “Tell a story, not just the stats. Judges remember entries that combine measurable results with a clear narrative of challenges, creativity, and impact show us the why and how, not just the what.”
To stay updated with judges announcements for the Agency of the Year Middle East 2025 awards, click here.
