AdvertisingOn its Q3 call, Publicis said AI agents should remove about 25% of manual, repetitive work. Unlike rivals cutting staff, Arthur Sadoun says the group keeps hiring and is giving over 90% of its 114,000 people AI tools.
Why it mattersHolding companies now split on AI: fewer people at some, same people doing higher-value work at Publicis.
MediaFor the first time, The Independent earned slightly more commerce revenue from social than from SEO in September, CEO Christian Broughton told a Digiday event in London. He called the gap narrow but said the direction is clear.
Why it mattersPublishers' commerce traffic is moving from search to social, and so are product discovery budgets.
AIYouGov says 59% of UAE adults plan to shop Dubai Shopping Festival 2026. Three in four likely shoppers will use AI, mostly for prices and reviews, but only about one in five would let it fill baskets or pay.
Why it mattersAI shopping assistants win research moments first; trust for agent checkout still has to be earned.
TV & StreamingDubai Media Incorporated signed a distribution deal at MIPCOM 2026 that puts its TV channels in about 12,000 hotels globally. The distributor wasn't named. The broadcaster also met AI vendors about production, dubbing and translation tools.
Why it mattersGulf broadcasters are hunting audiences abroad, which widens reach for advertisers on their channels.
SocialWith the UAE's National Media Authority and Simon Squibb, the summit will give 100 creators $10,000 each plus mentoring and trade-licence help. Applications open 20 November; funding starts at the January 2027 summit.
Why it mattersThe UAE keeps building a creator economy brands can partner with locally.
AdvertisingAbu Dhabi's Mubadala Capital closed its $6.2B buyout. Former Univision chief Wade Davis becomes CEO and ex-Paramount ad boss John Halley joins as CCO, promising outcome measurement, programmatic buying and one national platform.
Why it mattersA Gulf-owned outdoor giant is betting measurement will unlock bigger OOH budgets.
AdvertisingSearch, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns can now set Display and Search partners to low priority and cap them as a share of daily budget, down to zero. Google only promises best effort, and API support comes later.
Why it mattersMore control over low-quality inventory, though the cap isn't a hard guarantee.
AIOpenAI is recruiting an Agency Partner in New York to build joint business plans with holding companies and independents. It wants ChatGPT ads to move past pilots; the company said in August they had hit a $1B annualised run rate.
Why it mattersExpect agency deals and spend commitments for ChatGPT ads, the way search and social are bought today.
PlatformsFirst shown at I/O, the cart saves products from many retailers across Search and Gemini, flags price drops and restocks, and suggests promo codes and card perks. Checkout runs on Google's open Universal Commerce Protocol.
Why it mattersGoogle moves closer to owning the basket, not just the product search.
AdvertisingDentsu's global head of entertainment, Cathy Boxall, brought client briefs to Mipcom and wants brands to fund bigger branded-entertainment deals. Dentsu is producer, financier and lead marketer on the upcoming Angry Birds Three film, with two clients placed inside it.
Why it mattersBranded entertainment is moving from side project to a line item agencies will pitch for.
SocialIn a US test, select advertisers can run pre-roll ads on relevant creator and publisher videos without a direct partnership, and creators who opt in get a cut. LinkedIn also added expertise and audience filters to its invite-only Creator Marketplace.
Why it mattersIf the test widens, B2B brands get creator reach on LinkedIn without negotiating each deal.
PlatformsAdvertisers can now book a 3–24 hour block on a single day across Facebook and Instagram, with price and reach fixed upfront and delivery guaranteed within 5% of forecast. Meta is also testing a paid first slot in the feed.
Why it mattersGives brand teams a launch-day buy that behaves like TV, inside Meta's auction world.
AdvertisingResearchers tie Israeli firm Discover-Tech to ad-delivered, zero-click spyware, including attacks on at least 45 Al Jazeera devices, some confirmed infected. Bidding records show its ads ran in almost 200,000 apps and websites between March and June 2026.
Why it mattersAd supply chains face fresh scrutiny over who can buy in and why.
AdvertisingRed Bull opened its partnership with UAE football club Al Ain by flying paramotor pilot Dimitris Kolliakos into the stadium. The deal centres on performance, scouting and youth development, using Red Bull's academy experience.
Why it mattersA sponsorship built on talent development and a launch stunt, not just a logo on the shirt.
SocialEdits now supports tappable audio links, saved style kits and audience trend insights for creators over 10,000 followers. Instagram on iOS lets creators record over another Reel as a reference, and drops linked Reels series from 28 October.
Why it mattersResponse videos get easier to make; anyone using linked Reels series must rethink by 28 October.
TV & StreamingBela Bajaria is leaving Netflix after ten years as former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice becomes chief content officer, running series, film and live events worldwide. The change came in the same week Netflix cut about 1,000 jobs, roughly 6%.
Why it mattersA content reset at the biggest streamer could shift the shows and live events advertisers buy into.
AdvertisingTop FMCG advertisers lifted ad-to-sales from 11.6% in 2023 to 12.5% in 2025, while Big Tech fell from 13% in 2019 to 7.4%. A group of 25 large US advertisers dropped to 5.5% combined, from 6.1% in 2019, in what WARC calls a two-speed market.
Why it mattersUseful benchmark when defending brand budgets against cost-cutting peers.
AdvertisingSaudi Arabia's Athar festival, due in Riyadh in late November, is pushed to the second quarter of 2027, citing the regional situation. Awards judging is already done; the ceremony moves with the festival and new dates are still to come.
Why it mattersSaudi agencies lose a key November showcase; the awards move to Q2 2027 and the shortlist date is still to be set.
AdvertisingThe MENA start-up lets small businesses spread Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Google ad spend over up to 12 months. Angel investor Imad Jomaa put in $5M; new markets start onboarding in early 2027.
Why it mattersFinancing ad spend could pull more regional SMEs into paid social.
PlatformsYouTube Music now shows an "AI" tag on tracks it believes were made mainly with generative AI, such as AI-written compositions and vocals. The labels are coming to the main YouTube app too, backed by in-house detection and music partners.
Why it mattersBrands licensing or making AI music for ads should expect it to be visibly flagged.
SocialA Flywheel analysis of 1.5 million product samples found only 47% of creators made a video and 14% drove a sale. Creators posting 20 or more videos drove roughly ten times more sales per video than one-off posters.
Why it mattersSeeding pays off as steady volume with smaller creators, not one-off gifting.
PlatformsSnap surveyed over 17,000 map users aged 13 to 44 in six markets, Saudi Arabia among them. Most still navigate with Google Maps, but respondents were 2.9 times likelier to say they found favourite businesses on Snapchat than on other social apps.
Why it mattersSaudi data included: venues and retailers should treat Snap Map as a discovery channel, not just navigation.
TV & StreamingTikTok has a deal giving it exclusive rights to selected microdrama series from Made By Us Studios, whose creator-led shows feature names such as Teyana Taylor and King Bach. The content will feed TikTok and its PineDrama app.
Why it mattersMicrodramas are becoming a real inventory and integration format for brands on TikTok.
AdvertisingMediaGo has launched a mobile DOOH network in Jeddah with Jeddah Transport Company. Screens mounted on vehicles carry video, offers and QR codes across busy parts of the city, with more locations and vehicle formats planned.
Why it mattersSaudi OOH buyers get a moving, city-wide format that can link street reach to QR-driven action.
AdvertisingYouGov's 2026 recommendation ranking puts Saudia first in Saudi Arabia at 92.4% and Emirates first in the UAE at 92.8%. Albaik leads dining in both markets, and Bupa Arabia posted the biggest Saudi gain, up 7.3 points.
Why it mattersShows which brands customers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE actively vouch for, and that value scores stay below satisfaction even for the two leaders.
PlatformsWhatsApp call links now work for guests with no account. They join from a browser, wait for the host's approval and can't see numbers or send messages. Calls hold up to 32 people; calendar integrations are coming.
Why it mattersWhatsApp edges into Zoom and Teams territory, useful for brands already serving customers there.
SocialCreators HQ and Amazon Ads named the first creators in a six-month UAE programme, including Kris Fade and Noor Stars. Members get help launching on Amazon, up to $10,000 in Sponsored Ads cashback and up to $100,000 in DSP incentives.
Why it mattersGulf creators are being pushed from paid posts toward owning product brands sold through retail media.
AdvertisingTumodo's Q3 2026 data shows MENA business trips booked on its platform up 112% year on year and spend up 132%. Saudi Arabia accounted for 48.6% of trips and the UAE 31.1%, though the data doesn't measure ad spend.
Why it mattersB2B, events and travel marketers should weight budgets toward Saudi corporate audiences.
AdvertisingBBDO New York and Weber Shandwick's 'Once You Drop' stars TikTok funeral director Dan the Funeral Man. Fans pledge to be buried in a Pringles-style urn through an online will; the winner also gets a 200-year supply.
Why it mattersA dark-humour social stunt that borrows credibility from a niche creator.
PlatformsX has launched unified plans that combine Premium features with its AI products, including Grok, Cursor and a new agent product called Bot. There are five tiers, from a limited free plan to Ultra at $200 a month. The rollout starts in the US.
Why it mattersX is turning its social app into an AI subscription business, not only an ad platform.
SocialPinterest's new 'Design the Exit' playbook argues ads land better when people are in an intentional, action-focused mood rather than scrolling. It cites Gen Z fatigue with social media and big search jumps for terms like 'things to do instead of scrolling' (+365%).
Why it mattersA useful frame for creative that drives offline action instead of chasing time spent.
SocialDubai Press Club and the Department of Economy and Tourism have launched a tourism-focused phase of their creators programme. The two-week course offers 40 hours of training, from storytelling and AI-assisted production to disclosure rules for sponsored content.
Why it mattersDestination marketing is leaning on creators, and governments are setting disclosure standards.
AIOpenAI's EMEA B2B marketing head says in-person field marketing is currently its strongest channel for enterprise sales. The company pairs events with creators, a fixed webinar calendar and local market teams, slotting launches into that rhythm instead of building new campaigns.
Why it mattersEven AI's biggest brand finds enterprise deals still close face to face.
AIChatbot startup Character.ai filed for Chapter 11 and plans a court-run sale by early December. Disney agreed to pay $20 million for a perpetual, non-exclusive license to its IP. The CEO blamed legal, regulatory and operational pressure.
Why it mattersBrands building AI companions face real legal and safety exposure.
AdvertisingLowe's Media Network is extending beyond its own channels to Roku, DoorDash, Reddit, TikTok and YouTube, bringing in Ipsos for independent incrementality measurement and launching a product to help brands show up in AI answer engines.
Why it mattersRetail media is moving up-funnel and toward independent proof of incremental sales.
PlatformsUS adults can now build Android apps in Google AI Studio and run them privately through Play. Ask Play can also compare apps using user sentiment, and a new Game Finder recommends games from each player's behaviour profile.
Why it mattersAI assistants inside the store increasingly decide which apps people discover first.
AdvertisingGalaxy's Time Global Report polled 3,000 women in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. 84% want more undisturbed time for themselves (82% in Saudi, 91% in Egypt). The top irritant: being asked something people could answer themselves.
Why it mattersA ready insight for brands selling small moments of indulgence to women.
AdvertisingZeta Global agreed two deals in New York: Senso, the AI-engineering firm behind its generative engine optimisation offer, and Digital Audience, an identity and activation provider that adds European reach. It also previewed AthenaOS, due for general release in Q1 2027.
Why it mattersMartech firms are buying their way into AI search visibility and identity.
MediaDubai Media has partnered with Livewire to add in-game media, creator collaborations and interactive experiences to its UAE ad offer. Formats include in-game billboards, rewarded video, gamified challenges and custom game environments linked to real-world activations.
Why it mattersA state-backed broadcaster now sells gaming audiences alongside TV and social in the UAE.
Advertisingtalabat has renewed its deal with Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment for five more years, 2027 to 2031. It stays an official partner of Dubai Shopping Festival events, Ramadan Street Food Festival, Dubai Esports & Games Festival and Dubai Fitness Challenge.
Why it mattersA long event deal gives talabat a year-round stage for on-ground brand activations.
AdvertisingPublicis Groupe posted 5% organic growth in Q3 on new business wins and guided 4.5–5% for Q4. Arthur Sadoun said consumer agentic AI is moving fast while enterprise AI change is slower and costlier.
Why it mattersThe strongest holding company is betting on data and tech headcount while rivals cut.
PlatformsYouTube's conversational search, Ask YouTube, now reaches all US users on mobile after earlier rollouts on desktop and connected TV. People can ask complex questions, refine with follow-ups and use voice, with answers shown in an interactive format.
Why it mattersDiscovery on YouTube is shifting from keywords to questions, which changes how video gets found.
PlatformsMeta is rolling out 'Your algorithm' on Facebook, a menu space where people type the topics they want more or less of in Feed and Reels. Tapping Interested or Not interested can now trigger follow-up questions about why.
Why it mattersExplicit user-stated interests could reshape organic reach and how ads are matched to audiences.
AIMeta released Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, built for long, multi-step agentic tasks, with memory of user priorities and expertise in law, finance and health. Muse Wonder is live via Meta's Model API and Muse Code, Wonder Full only for Muse Code subscribers, and Muse Wonder comes to the Muse app soon, subscribers first.
Why it mattersMeta's agents are getting more capable; expect them to shape commerce and customer service on its apps.
AdvertisingThe third D&AD New Blood Portfolio Review, hosted at TBWA\RAAD's Dubai office, gave early-career creatives one-on-one feedback from agency staff. Samyuktha Shankar and Sara Shakil won Best Portfolio awards and internships at the agency.
Why it mattersA structured way in for young creatives in the Gulf.
MediaPQ Media forecasts global product placement spending will rise 13.7% in 2026 to almost $42 billion, with the US making up 57% of the market. Microdramas and print are named as emerging placement channels; the Netherlands is growing fastest.
Why it mattersBrands are shifting budget into content itself; microdramas are a new route worth testing.
TV & StreamingAveraged analyst forecasts put the merged Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery at $19–21.6 billion in 2027 ad revenue. Streaming ads are expected to grow 20–35% a year while linear TV falls 5–8% annually.
Why it mattersOne seller holding over a quarter of US national TV ads changes buyers' negotiating power.
PlatformsGoogle quietly rewrote its Merchant Center help page: blurry or pixelated product images now trigger a fix-it warning instead of keeping products out of Shopping ads and free listings. Images under 500 x 500 pixels will still be rejected from 31 January 2027.
Why it mattersFewer disapprovals, but weak images still hurt clicks, and the 2027 size rule stays.
PlatformsFrom 12 October, Google Ads can pull deals and coupons from an advertiser's website into ads. It applies to Search and Performance Max campaigns with location assets and no promotion assets. Enrolment is automatic; advertisers can opt out in automated asset settings.
Why it mattersCheck the setting so expired or off-brand offers don't appear in your ads.
AIResearch firm Profound says instructions it extracted from Meta's Muse agent tell it to put well-known merchants first in its top picks and to rank a named brand's own store above resellers. Meta hasn't commented, and the instructions may have changed since September.
Why it mattersSmaller sellers may struggle to surface in agent-led shopping without brand recognition.
AdvertisingNorway's data regulator fined Xandr, now Microsoft Advertising, NOK 92 million (about €8.6M), its biggest fine yet. Xandr shared Grindr users' data, which reveals sexual orientation, without a legal basis and could not lean on Grindr's consent claims.
Why it mattersAd tech firms must prove their own legal basis, not trust a partner's consent.
AdvertisingAt the Loeries in Cape Town, Lion Communication's Jeep Rescue Squad won Gold in Channel Creativity and Creative Strategy, and Saatchi & Saatchi ME's Let It Fly for Saudia took Gold in Transit OOH and Service Design. Joe Public was Agency of the Year.
Why it mattersGulf work keeps travelling well at Africa and the Middle East's main show.
PlatformsGoogle has started a US-only test that lets pharmaceutical brands run standard text and Shopping ads, labelled Sponsored, within AI Mode and AI Overviews answers. The test began this month, opening a regulated category to AI search ad placements.
Why it mattersShows AI search inventory widening to sensitive, regulated categories, a signal for health and pharma marketers everywhere.
PlatformsA recent Safari update blocked several large cross-site tracking vendors without warning, The Trade Desk's ad server among them. Aditude sees eCPMs down 10.5% on the new version, though only about 8% of users have upgraded so far.
Why it mattersQ4 is peak revenue season, and losses grow as more iPhones update.
AdvertisingMeta has stopped ByteDance, and any advertiser sending users to TikTok or other ByteDance apps, from buying ads on Facebook and Instagram in seven countries including the US and Egypt. The ban took effect immediately amid a wider child-safety dispute between the rivals. Buyers say the link ban complicates cross-platform creator work.
Why it mattersCross-platform campaigns driving traffic to TikTok must be rebuilt for affected markets, including Egypt.
AdvertisingPolymarket's campaign, created with Stagwell's Today on the Moon, stages a fictional headquarters starring LeBron James, Spike Lee, Derek Jeter and others. It runs across US TV, digital, out-of-home and social.
Why it mattersCelebrity ensembles in a recurring world give brands an episodic format that scales across channels.
AdvertisingWork credited to Riyadh agencies took 7 of the 21 Grands Prix at Dubai Lynx 2026, led by VML Riyadh's wins for stc, flynas, Mentos and KAFA. BigTime Creative Shop was Independent Agency of the Year and Saudi studio Truffle Films took the Lynx Palm. Saatchi & Saatchi ME was MENA Agency of the Year, and FP7 McCann's Recipe for Change for Arla took four Grands Prix.
Why it mattersSaudi agencies and production houses now compete at the top of regional creative rankings.
AdvertisingWPP has hired McCann global CEO Tyler Turnbull to lead WPP Creative from early 2027, succeeding Jon Cook. The unit will bundle creative agencies with media, data, production, commerce and technology capabilities.
Why it mattersA top Omnicom-side leader defecting signals WPP's push to reset its creative offer, including in MENA networks.
Radio & AudioThe Podcast Study 2026 found 54.8% of listeners already think shows carry too many ads, and only 8.6% would accept more to keep them free. Social media proved about three times better than in-show ads for discovery.
Why it mattersBuying more podcast spots may hit diminishing returns; quality and placement matter more.
AdvertisingHyundai's three-phase Saudi platform opens with a Breast Cancer Awareness push offering 600 free mammograms through Saudi German Health in Riyadh and Jeddah. YouGov data commissioned for the launch found only 17% of women were screened last year.
Why it mattersShows how pairing purpose with commissioned local research gives Saudi campaigns earned-media hooks.
SocialLeading creators are working with fewer brands and asking those that stay for more, such as equity, product input or executive titles. Digiday points to Alix Earle preferring a handful of partners and Jordan Howlett becoming chief content officer at Blenders Eyewear.
Why it mattersExpect fewer, deeper creator deals with bigger asks; plan long-term partnerships early.
TV & StreamingParamount completed its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on 6 October, forming Skydance. The group plans to merge HBO Max and Paramount+ into one service, possibly bundling them first, with no name, date or pricing yet.
Why it mattersA new streaming heavyweight with nearly 200m subscribers will reshape premium video buying.
AdvertisingPanda Retail has partnered with Spike Media Saudi (GoSpike) for sales and ad operations and GoWit for ad technology to scale its ecommerce retail media network. The grocer brings 200-plus stores and over 14 million online shoppers.
Why it mattersAnother large Saudi retailer opens shopper-data inventory, giving FMCG brands more closed-loop options locally.
Radio & AudioAn SEC filing shows Skydance is now a reporting owner of Anghami through WBD's stake in OSN Streaming, which holds about 71% including warrants. The filing mentions possible options such as a minority buyout or carving out Anghami's music service.
Why it mattersThe region's leading music streamer and OSN+ may see strategic changes affecting ad partnerships.
AdvertisingSouthwest's Enter Airplane Mode campaign by GSD&M lets loyalty members upload a screenshot of their home-screen notifications to earn points, plus a burnout quiz. Creators via Later and media via Sparks Foundry support the push.
Why it mattersParticipatory, screenshot-based mechanics turn everyday phone behaviour into loyalty sign-ups and shareable content.
AdvertisingCampari-owned Espolòn's Fare Share programme covers 50% of qualifying ride-hailing fares, up to $25, through November 1. It is promoted through creators, earned media, venue signage and events in five US cities.
Why it mattersUtility-led stunts addressing a real consumer pain point earn press and goodwill beyond paid media.
Radio & AudioSpotify extended its licensing partnership with The Joe Rogan Experience, its most-followed podcast with 18 million followers. Episodes stay available on other platforms, while Spotify keeps handling distribution and ad sales.
Why it mattersSpotify keeps control of the biggest podcast ad inventory in the market.
MediaUSA Today Co. filed a copyright complaint in New York, alleging OpenAI trained ChatGPT on articles from 19 of its publications and reproduces its reporting. It seeks over $250 million in damages.
Why it mattersPublisher fights with AI firms will shape how news content shows up in AI answers.
AdvertisingAdvertisers can now see up to ten sample AI-generated headlines and descriptions built from their landing page before enabling AI Max text customisation. The samples appear in about 30 seconds but are illustrative, not guaranteed final ads.
Why it mattersBrand teams can check tone and claims before handing ad copy to Google's AI.
AdvertisingRegional agency AroundtheClock unveiled a new identity and an integrated model of six units covering creative, social, influencers, PR, media and technology including SEO and AEO. Each unit can be hired separately or together.
Why it mattersMENA independents are packaging AI search and creator services as modular offers clients can buy à la carte.
TV & StreamingAfter the WBD merger, Skydance controls 36 premium sports properties, nearly double any rival, including the NFL on CBS, UFC, MLB, NHL and exclusive March Madness. It holds no NBA rights.
Why it mattersLive sports ad buys in the US now run heavily through one seller.
SocialThreads now automatically awards Gems to public posts and direct replies that spark original, sustained conversation, with a badge shown in feed. The programme is limited to US users for now.
Why it mattersSignals that Threads rewards original, conversation-starting content over crossposted material.
Radio & AudioSpotify is taking audiobooks from 22 to over 180 markets by end of 2026, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the rest of the GCC. Access comes via Premium hours, an Audiobooks+ add-on or direct purchase, varying by market.
Why it mattersSpoken-word listening grows in the Gulf, opening new audio content and sponsorship angles.
AIAnthropic completed its Claude 5.5 family with Haiku 5.5, a fast low-cost model aimed at high-volume tasks like summaries, classification and live support. It follows Sonnet 5.5, launched in late September as a cheaper everyday option.
Why it mattersCheap fast models make large-scale tagging, social listening and customer chat automation more affordable.
AIOpenAI is rolling out GPT-6 models across ChatGPT tiers, with Sol for paid plans and Luna for Free and Go. Answers can now mix text with images, buttons, forms and charts depending on the question.
Why it mattersRicher, more visual AI answers change how brands and products surface inside ChatGPT conversations.
Indian streamer JioHotstar launched in MENA as a hub inside StarzPlay, available on the AED 34.99 PLUS plan, with cricket on the higher MAX tier. It targets South Asian audiences with content in multiple Indian languages.
Why it mattersBrands targeting the Gulf's large South Asian audience gain a dedicated premium streaming environment.
AdvertisingBrands can now pay to boost eligible creator Pins featuring their products, even without an existing partnership. Creators are notified and can approve, decline or opt out entirely.
Why it mattersOffers a fast, low-friction way to scale authentic creator content as paid media.
SocialEdits now supports building photo and video carousels with layouts, fonts, overlays, effects and custom stickers. The feature is live on iOS with Android to follow.
Why it mattersCarousels outperform single images, and creative teams can now produce them in Meta's own editor.
AdvertisingSince mid-September, WebKit on iPhone and iPad has been cutting off domains from The Trade Desk, LiveRamp, ID5, Permutive and Audigent, hitting every iOS browser. Apple has also built code letting it extend the list without software updates.
Why it mattersExpect weaker iOS audience matching and attribution; lean harder on first-party data and server-side measurement.
AdvertisingOmnicom Media is using Rembrand's AI platform to find scenes in premium streaming shows where branded products can be inserted after production. It pairs the placements with audience data and traditional video ad buys.
Why it mattersVirtual product placement is becoming a buyable, data-driven media line rather than a bespoke deal.
AdvertisingIn a pre-close note, WPP pointed only to an improving second-half revenue trend and reiterated $130M of 2026 savings under its Elevate28 plan. It also agreed to sell its PRAP Japan stake to Edelman's parent ahead of October 29 results.
Why it mattersHolding-company cost cutting continues to shape agency staffing, pricing and pitch behaviour for clients.
AIAt Advertising Week New York, Meta said its business AI assistant is starting to test creating creative, changing targeting and shifting budgets from chat prompts. Video generation from static images is now generally available in Advantage+ creative, and its Ads MCP server has been expanded.
Why it mattersCampaign setup and optimisation on Meta are moving toward conversational, approval-based automation.
AdvertisingReddit extended its AI-driven Max campaigns to lead gen objectives and is testing in-market audiences for B2B categories. A HubSpot integration and new data partners such as Bombora and Demandbase were added.
Why it mattersB2B marketers get a more automated, CRM-connected way to capture leads on Reddit.
Comcast-owned ad tech firm FreeWheel named Hamid Davari, previously OSN's head of advertising and part of the IAB MENA CTV Taskforce, as MENA commercial director. Regional agencies will gain access to FreeWheel-powered premium video inventory abroad.
Why it mattersSignals growing investment in programmatic CTV infrastructure across the Gulf.
AdvertisingX unveiled X Lift, which generates ad images, copy and targeting from a business URL so advertisers only set a budget. X says active self-serve advertisers rose 50% year on year in Q3.
Why it mattersLowers the entry barrier for small advertisers testing X with minimal creative resources.
AdvertisingFerrero will spend over $50 million around Super Bowl LXI, its largest single marketing investment, with spots for Kinder Bueno and a debut for Nutella. It credits last year's Kinder Bueno ad with a 140% sales volume lift.
Why it mattersProof that tentpole TV still drives measurable sales when paired with strong brand assets.
AIGoogle released Nano Banana 2.1, an efficient image generation and editing model with better text rendering, up to 4K output and up to 14 reference images. It keeps up to four characters consistent across images.
Why it mattersSharper text and character consistency make AI-generated ad visuals and social assets more production-ready.
SocialSome Facebook users in India now open the app to Reels, with the traditional News Feed moved to a separate tab. Meta has said it plans to bring the experience to the US next year.
Why it mattersShort video is becoming Facebook's default surface, so feed-first creative strategies need rethinking.
AdvertisingAt Advertising Week New York, TikTok introduced Buy Direct in-feed checkout, a conversational Shopping Assistant and Agentic Leads for DM-based qualification. It also opened its ad network to US advertisers and automated search campaigns through Smart+.
Why it mattersDiscovery-to-purchase now happens inside TikTok, shortening the funnel brands must plan and measure.
AdvertisingAdvertising Week New York opened with about 2,500 creators and a goal of $100 million in creator deals over the next year, with brands asked to declare budgets upfront. AI implementation and disputed sales attribution dominated discussions.
Why it mattersCreator spend is becoming a tracked, committed budget line rather than experimental money.
AdvertisingOpenAI will test a labelled visual ad format shown alongside image generation for Free and Go users in the US, starting later in October. It also added conversion integrations, attribution partners, negative-phrase controls and brand-suitability pilots with DoubleVerify and IAS.
Why it mattersChatGPT ads are gaining visual formats and standard measurement, making them easier to plan and justify.
AdvertisingThe Full Stop's 30-second spot for Almarai's L'Usine Tasbeera gives each flavour its own everyday Saudi scene. Multi-screen layouts, split frames and shifting visual treatments let it cover many moments quickly.
Why it mattersSplit-screen, multi-scenario edits suit short-form feeds and showcase a full range in one asset.
AITo meet EU AI Act provenance rules, OpenAI will add an invisible statistical watermark to eligible ChatGPT and Codex text in the EU, while API watermarking stays opt-in. The detector is restricted to approved researchers, and heavy rewording sharply reduces detection.
Why it mattersAI-written copy for European audiences may now carry machine-readable provenance signals.
AdvertisingSRMG Labs placed Saudi messaging on real Tourists Go Home graffiti in Barcelona, Lisbon and Rome, running it unbranded for a week. Social, creator and PR amplification followed, earning a spot in Campaign Middle East's September picks.
Why it mattersA model for culture-jacking: low media cost, street-first stunts built to spread through social and press.
TV & StreamingAt a Riyadh event, Disney+ announced Toy Story 5 in a Saudi Arabic dub voiced by local actors and creators, exclusive to Saudi Arabia. A redesigned app with personalised recommendations and Junior Mode rolled out across MENA from 6 October.
Why it mattersGlobal streamers are localising for Saudi audiences, raising the bar for Saudi-dialect content.
SocialYouTube is expanding Creator Partnerships to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, giving brands wider access to creator content. MENA creators also get AI comment moderation, likeness detection on mobile, Ask Studio in the app and dynamic thumbnails.
Why it mattersGCC brands gain an official route to find and run YouTube creator collaborations.
SocialYouTube changed Shorts recommendations to favour original videos and reduce reach for channels re-posting others' clips without meaningful changes. The move mirrors Instagram's earlier crackdown on aggregator accounts.
Why it mattersBrands relying on repurposed or aggregated clips risk losing Shorts distribution.
TV & StreamingbeIN Media Group agreed a three-year deal with Fifty5Blue, formerly Kantar Media, to combine set-top box data with its OTT streaming usage. The output is household-level audience figures across both environments.
Why it mattersBetter unified TV and streaming measurement makes sports media buys in MENA more accountable.
PlatformsReddit will switch off RSS on November 13 and close its public API in March 2027, citing large-scale AI scraping. Social listening and research tools will need commercial agreements to keep accessing data.
Why it mattersSocial listening budgets and tool stacks that pull Reddit data may face new costs or gaps.
PlatformsParents can now restrict teens' Channels use, Status visibility and group invites, and receive alerts on group activity behind a PIN. Meta AI content settings for teens can also be tightened.
Why it mattersBrands using WhatsApp Channels to reach younger audiences may see reduced reach among teens.
SocialCreators can now pay to promote a livestream directly from the Live composer, with the broadcast serving as the ad across Feed, Stories and Reels. Boosts run only while the stream is on air.
Why it mattersBrand and creator live events can be amplified quickly without full Ads Manager setup.
AINVIDIA fine-tuned its Nemotron speech recognition model on SDAIA's Saudi audio dataset, cutting word error rates on Najdi and Hijazi dialects from about 55% to 30%. The model supports real-time use.
Why it mattersBetter dialect transcription improves Saudi voice ads, captioning, subtitling and social listening.
AIMuse for Small Business works in the background on goals like finding customers, connecting to Shopify, Klaviyo, Canva, Meta ad accounts and more. Actions need owner approval, and core features are free, with Muse currently live in the US and Canada.
Why it mattersSMB clients may soon delegate content, ads analysis and admin to Meta's agent.
AdvertisingAt unBoxed, Amazon renamed its unified DSP and ads console Amazon Ads Agent, with AI planning and optimisation across sponsored, display, video and streaming TV. Full-Funnel Campaigns are live for US advertisers, with DVA+ rolling out from late October.
Why it mattersRetail media buying is consolidating into one AI-run platform, reducing manual campaign management.
AISDAIA's National AI Risk Management Framework, launched in July, gives government bodies and companies one method to identify, assess, treat and monitor AI risks. It ranks risks by likelihood and impact across seven categories and principles including privacy and transparency.
Why it mattersSaudi brands and agencies using generative AI now have a reference for governing AI use.
AIOpenAI's developer event introduced Dots always-on agents, a cheaper GPT-6.1 Sol, an Ultrafast tier and expanded plugins with hosted Sites. ChatGPT also gained collaborative slides, Pages, shared team tasks and assistants inside Slack and Teams.
Why it mattersAgencies can automate recurring content and reporting work more cheaply inside tools teams already use.
SocialLinkedIn's Creator Marketplace is piloting search filters by industry, job function, audience demographics and Top Voices status. General availability is expected in early 2027.
Why it mattersB2B marketers get data-driven tools to pick creators whose audiences match buyer profiles.
AdvertisingAl-Futtaim and McCann Synergy launched The Heart of Tomorrow, filmed at 15-plus sites in Dubai, Riyadh and Singapore using volunteer staff instead of models. It rolled out via internal channels and paid social on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Why it mattersEmployer branding is moving onto paid social with authentic, employee-led creative across GCC markets.
AdvertisingThe seventh Riyadh Season runs ten weeks from October 21, with boxing, UFC, the Six Kings Slam (moved to 27–30 December), concerts and expanded Boulevard World pavilions. The GEA chairman revealed the date and slogan in a promotional film.
Why it mattersThe Kingdom's biggest Q4 attention window; sponsorship, activation and media plans need to lock in now.
TV & StreamingAt its first UK Upfront, Netflix said pause ads become buyable through partner DSPs from October and demographic targeting will add income and household composition. Its ad plan launches in nine more European countries on 1 March 2027.
Why it mattersNetflix inventory is getting easier to buy programmatically, with sharper audience targeting.
AdvertisingGoogle Ads introduced a single report tracing AI Max search terms, the assets shown and landing pages reached. AI Brief, which lets advertisers steer AI Max in plain language, is expanding its closed beta to seven more languages.
Why it mattersMore visibility into automated search campaigns helps justify AI Max budgets to clients.
Radio & AudioSounds Profitable data from 5,473 US adults shows about 21% of podcast consumers encountered a show on Netflix in the past year, ranking it behind YouTube and Spotify. Use of podcast-only apps as a main app fell to 15%.
Why it mattersVideo podcasts now sit inside streaming TV, changing where audio budgets should go.
SocialYouTube's annual creator event introduced a conversational Shorts editing assistant, richer Studio feedback, expanded likeness detection and tools for creators to be found by brands. Live streams gain real-time auto-dubbing and collaborative showdowns.
Why it mattersCreator-brand matchmaking moves into YouTube itself, affecting how agencies source and brief talent.
AIAnthropic released Claude Opus 5.5, claiming top results in agentic coding, computer use and knowledge work. It is priced below Opus 5 and is available on the Claude Platform, AWS, Google Cloud and Azure.
Why it mattersStronger, cheaper frontier models lower the cost of AI-driven research, strategy and content workflows.
AIMinistry of Commerce data shows AI commercial registrations reached 24,552, up 31%, with creative, arts and entertainment registrations up 25%. The growth comes as the Kingdom marks 2026 as its Year of Artificial Intelligence.
Why it mattersA fast-growing local AI vendor base means more Saudi partners and competitors for agencies.
AdvertisingMeta is gradually removing the rule that Threads and Instagram usernames must match before running Threads ads. Businesses can now advertise from a native Threads profile alone.
Why it mattersOpens Threads advertising to brands without an Instagram presence and separates the two strategies.
Radio & AudioADOPTER Media, Right Side Up and Oxford Road said they will count YouTube podcast impressions only through Engaged Views. The move follows YouTube changing its public play definition, which roughly doubled reported numbers.
Why it mattersCheck which YouTube metric your podcast deals are priced on before signing.
SocialSnap research finds 96% of Saudi Snapchatters shop during the National Day season, and most value early brand content for planning. During past National Day seasons on Snapchat, Lens shares jumped over 600% and purchases rose 56%.
Why it mattersSaudi seasonal campaigns should launch well before the date to capture planning-stage demand.