Waleed Hussein, CEO, Rotana SignsIn Saudi Arabia, out of home (OOH) media has become an intrinsic part of the Kingdom’s streets, skylines and shifting patterns of daily life – transforming from relatively straightforward inventory into a seamless synthesis of environments, formats and technologies.
Campaign Middle East speaks to Waleed Hussein, CEO, Rotana Signs, a pioneer who has helped shape Saudi Arabia’s out of home (OOH) industry for more than three decades. Hussein frames the industry’s innovation as a move far beyond the billboard, built through repeated reinvention: not just adding new sites, but steadily widening what OOH can do for clients and brands as the country modernises.
How has the OOH industry evolved over the past 12 months? How have these milestones influenced the market’s growth and future direction?
The evolution of OOH in Saudi Arabia has been a journey defined by challenge, opportunity, continuous learning and rapid adaptation. From the early days of static unipoles, I have been privileged to lead the introduction of bridges of various types, in-mall media, entertainment and retail formats, many of which have since become industry benchmarks.
Supported by one of the highest OOH media mix shares globally and consistent year-on-year growth, the Kingdom has established itself as a highly advanced, format-rich, and digitised OOH market, leading in innovation and scale. Further shaping the landscape, my team and I have had the honour of delivering landmark digital façades such as Kingdom Tower, Burj Rafal and Al Abdulkarim Tower, transforming the urban skyline, alongside our recent awards in Makkah and Dammam.
Together, these milestones reflect our ongoing commitment to expanding the market in size, value and diversity, ensuring it continues to meet the evolving communication needs of advertisers.
Looking ahead, what new innovations do you believe will drive the future growth of the OOH market?
I believe three key factors will drive the next phase of market growth. First, Saudi Arabia’s social and economic transformation under Vision 2030 has created higher population density, an influx of international residents, and increased mobility across cities, with people moving between work, entertainment zones, parks, and social spaces, significantly strengthening the impact and relevance of the media.
Second, at Rotana Signs, we focus on large, networked and high-impact assets that cut through clutter, deliver creative dominance and secure strong associations with key points of interest, while also extending media presence into neighbourhoods which were historically lacking. Supported by strong technical capabilities, this approach continues to expand reach and drive advertisers’ confidence.
Third is measurement, which has long been a challenge for the industry, but one we are now overcoming. With robust audience data and the emergence of programmatic digital out of home (pDOOH), the market will soon offer scalable, measurable access to brands worldwide, further accelerating growth across the Kingdom’s OOH market.
Where do you stand on audience measurement investments? Are you building an in-house framework, partnering with third parties, or considering a hybrid approach?
Today, we are in the final preparation phase of launching our measurement tool. We are working closely with a European-based OOH measurement partner whose methodology and data are CESP certified, ensuring independent validation and alignment with global standards. This will help give our advertising partners clear, objective insight into how their campaigns are performing, what is truly working and where improvements can be made. It will allow brands to better understand their investments, measure results against key performance indicators (KPIs) and begin building a stronger link between exposure, engagement and return on investment.
Looking ahead, we will continue conducting annual research papers to understand consumer sentiment towards OOH, whereby our long-term vision is to secure a balanced, hybrid model combining first-and-third-party data sets to help deliver a 360-degree understanding of the media and how it resonates within the market.
With Rotana Signs’ strong footprint across several cities, what is next for the company in terms of expanding its investment portfolio, forming strategic partnerships and scaling large-format solutions?
With our long-term awards across Makkah and the Eastern Province, a growing presence in Jeddah, landmark assets in Riyadh, in addition to many other cities, we have created a national platform that gives advertisers both scale and impact. To build on this and create a market ready for future communication requirements, we have established a dedicated investment pool for developments within Saudi Arabia and selectively across the region.
In parallel, we are building strategic partnerships with key players in the digital and OOH sectors to introduce new formats that raise standards and provide novel opportunities.
A key priority for us is making OOH media more accessible to businesses of all sizes. We are developing flexible models and networked solutions that allow both large and growing brands to benefit from high-impact visibility. By doing so, we are creating an entry point for new advertisers and encouraging brands that may not have traditionally invested in OOH to see the channel as relevant, effective and within reach. Our goal is to grow the market by making it more inclusive, dynamic and valuable!
Looking ahead, what challenges do you anticipate when advertisers migrate to national solutions, and how are you preparing to address them and turn them into opportunities?
As more advertisers move toward nationwide OOH solutions, one of the key challenges will be avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. Success at scale requires a deep understanding of the role each format and network plays, the environments in which they operate, and how messaging can be adapted through business insight to strengthen contextual relevance and audience connection.
As our new assets continue to be installed within the market, we are preparing balanced national packages that combine consistency with local weighting and will be supported by our upcoming measurement capabilities. This will ensure campaigns are not only executed but are done so with greater efficiency. This approach will also help attract new advertisers while reshaping how traditional brands view and use the medium. Together, we see this shift as a significant opportunity to deliver meaningful reach, stronger and more sustainable long-term value for brands across the Kingdom.
