Jem Djemal, Director of Global Business Development, VIOOHThe Middle East isn’t just another market for programmatic digital out of home (prDOOH) advertising, it’s where the future of premium DOOH is being written. The region is quickly building a reputation of connecting world-class ad inventory with the world’s most affluent, engaged audiences in environments where dwell times are measured in extended minutes, not fleeting seconds.
The quality of DOOH inventory across the Middle East is exceptionally premium. Screens are positioned in high-impact locations that provide the perfect backdrop for luxury, travel and high-end brands. The fundamentals for widespread adoption of prDOOH are now in place: verified audience measurement, real-time optimisation and sophisticated targeting capabilities that deliver measurable performance.
VIOOH’s new strategic partnerships with ELAN Media in Qatar, Elevision across the UAE and UK, BackLite Media throughout the UAE, and our integration within JCDecaux Play+, represent a movement towards strong adoption and increased opportunities for advertisers.
These partnerships represent a comprehensive network that spans the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) key markets, from the ultra-premium shopping destinations of Doha to the iconic urban landscapes of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, delivering unprecedented access to premium, data-driven DOOH inventory where it matters most.
Building a premium regional network
The partnership with ELAN Media in Qatar exemplifies our commitment to quality. ELAN operates premium DOOH inventory across Qatar’s most prestigious locations, spanning ultra-premium shopping destinations and high-impact roadside networks.
The Mall of Qatar, attracting 14.8 million visitors annually with an impressive 109-minute average dwell time, serves Qatar’s most affluent audiences. Place Vendôme Qatar represents the pinnacle of luxury retail with over 500 luxury outlets, while Doha Festival City ranks among the top 20 malls globally.
Elevision’s network, across the UAE and UK, delivers smarter media outcomes for property partners, advertisers and the communities it serves – driven by technology, creativity and global reach. Following its successful expansion into London in 2024, the company aims to match the size of its UAE footprint in the UK within the next five years.
BackLite Media’s premium inventory boasts six million monthly impressions across prime locations along Dubai’s busiest road, Sheikh Zayed Road, and a vast indoor and outdoor screen network in prominent malls and destinations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Featuring more than 300 digital screens across the UAE, this provides advertisers with highly targeted audience options, reaching commuters, global tourists, residents and shoppers.
The integration of VIOOH within JCDecaux Play+, JCDecaux’s exclusive prDOOH solution, is a cutting-edge offering available across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and soon Oman. This innovative offering positions the GCC region as easily accessible from a global perspective, attracting international accounts and investors to its strategic locations and providing unparalleled opportunities for advertisers to connect with their audiences. It is designed to engage audiences from various locations, maximising efficiency through strategic targeting, ensuring advertisers make meaningful connections with their desired audience.
JCDecaux Play+ is available on an extensive array of screens across premium urban environments, malls and major GCC airports including Dubai International Airport, Bahrain International Airport and Jeddah International Airport.
The platform’s three core pillars – flexibility and control, innovation and technology, and reach and visibility – align with the evolving needs of Middle East advertisers who increasingly prioritise performance-based metrics.
The growth trajectory
In the UK, 91 per cent of advertisers prefer prDOOH solutions that prioritise reaching target audiences over specific locations, suggesting an audience-centric approach that is precisely what can be delivered via strategic inventory availability.
We are increasingly seeing this approach also being adopted in the Middle East, where VIOOH’s partnerships integrate into VIOOH Select, the curated inventory single Deal ID offering which delivers to buyers a combination of outdoor and indoor inventory across 2,743 digital screens with 560 million monthly impressions representing genuine omnichannel opportunities in the Middle East.
VIOOH Select offers a variety of buying options to fulfill sophisticated multi-channel and prDOOH briefs, and ready-made packages can be used to target high net worth individuals, B2B and frequent travellers.
The strategic advantage of prDOOH
These partnerships focus on premium inventory in markets characterised by high-value audiences and exceptional dwell times. The region’s unique demographic profile – combining affluent residents, international business travellers and luxury tourism – creates unparalleled opportunities for brands seeking meaningful engagement with premium consumers. These aren’t simply high-traffic locations; they’re environments where audiences have both the time and the intent to engage with brand messaging.
The emphasis on premium locations with verified audience data ensures that every impression delivers genuine value. Through partnerships with leading demand-side platforms, we’re enabling both regional and international advertisers to access this premium inventory programmatically, with the flexibility and data-driven precision that modern marketing demands. VIOOH’s real-time trading gives advertisers unique opportunities to target consumers, delivering consistent media value and growth opportunities.
As the Middle East continues to evolve as a leading destination for luxury, business and leisure, prDOOH is delivering premium access to the world’s most sought-after audiences, creating exceptional opportunities for brands seeking precision, efficiency and comprehensive advertising coverage across the region.
By Jem Djemal, Director of Global Business Development, VIOOH
