The Middle East doesn’t wait for the rest of the world to figure it out. Retailers here are launching advanced media networks, broadcasters are building addressable alternatives to global platforms, and brands demand real business impact, not just vanity metrics . But how do you build the right foundation to move at speed? That’s something we’re looking to answer on September 9th.
For the first time, LiveRamp is bringing its premiere data collaboration event, RampUp, to the region with RampUp Middle East 2026 . The focus is on uniting brands, agencies, retailers, and publishers to discuss innovative solutions for extracting value from complex data environments. The key theme: speed is only an advantage if the underlying data is structured in a way to support that speed – especially as AI becomes central to marketing organisations.
Building later means building smarter, and nowhere is that clearer than in ADNOC Distribution’s launch of Engage by ADNOC, the UAE’s first full-funnel retail media network, which connects brands with customers across multiple digital and physical touchpoints. Unlike early pilots elsewhere, this is a leap to advanced sophistication. But signals from all these channels are valuable only if unified by a solid data structure – otherwise, they remain fragmented, no matter how impressive the launch.
Brands face similar challenges. At RampUp Middle East , marketers from Arla, Beiersdorf, and Mondelez will address the hurdles of activating across fragmented retail media networks and proving incrementality. The bottom line: without common measurement standards and unified data structure, brands struggle to demonstrate true business impact, no matter their investment.
Agencies aren’t getting an easier ride. A panel on data strategy will examine whether agencies can truly activate data to drive results, or if much of it is still just theatre. With tightening privacy regulations and fewer third-party signals, only strong data foundations will allow agencies to deliver on their promises.
Retailers, for their part, aren’t short on data. Talabat, Alshaya, and Majid Al Futtaim possess rich first-party data, but their focus isn’t just volume, it’s also structure. Turning data into true commerce media value requires standardisation, and without it, the region risks building incompatible infrastructures that will ultimately limit growth.
Premium media faces a similar challenge, albeit one step removed from retail. Across the GCC, broadcasters, CTV platforms and publishers are looking to build on the success of the walled gardens by taking greater control of identity, activation data and measurement. According to Reza Amiri-Garroussi, LiveRamp’s Head of Media UK & MEA, the opportunity exists to move beyond the traditional role of simply selling audiences, and instead create addressable, closed-loop media ecosystems that deliver outcomes, strengthen advertiser relationships and position premium media owners as indispensable strategic partners to brands.
The intersection of content and commerce highlights this further. While first-party data is a strong foundation, expanding beyond owned channels presents exciting new opportunities for more dynamic targeting and innovative measurement, but it can be complex. Experts from Meta and Snap will discuss the full customer journey and why incrementality – not just ROAS – is the true measure of success, especially for the hardest-…