By: Hussein Elbaz, Senior Marketing Manager, Chery UAE

In 2025, one of the most defining lessons for marketing across the MENA region has been the shift from communication to connection. Audiences did not disengage from brands—they disengaged from one-way, overly polished advertising that felt disconnected from real life.

In a region shaped by culture, community, and conversation, the brands that stood out were those that moved beyond broadcasting messages and instead showed up as participants in people’s daily lives.

This shift is clearly reflected in the rise of UGC and human-led video content, where real voices, creators, and lived experiences consistently outperformed static, highly produced creative.  

Imperfection became a strategic advantage, signalling authenticity, trust, and cultural fluency. In 2025, engagement was no longer a metric to measure in isolation; it became the creative idea itself, marking a broader transition from impression-driven advertising to interaction-driven brand building.

Looking ahead to 2026, artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape the marketing landscape in the region, but its true impact will extend beyond automation and efficiency.

As AI enables brands to produce content at unprecedented speed and scale, the risk of sameness will increase. In this environment, human insight, taste, and emotional intelligence will become more valuable than ever.

The most successful brands in MENA will be those that use AI to enhance relevance, anticipate consumer needs, and make smarter decisions,while remaining deeply human in how they connect—culturally aware, conversational, and purpose-led.

AI will become a powerful engine for growth, but humanity will remain the compass. In a region where relationships matter as much as reach, the brands that win in 2026 will be those that balance technological intelligence with genuine human connection.