By: Mazen Mroueh: Head of Retail Media and Partnerships, Publicis Media

MENA Retail Media Outlook 2026: From Experimentation to Scaled Growth

Retail media in MENA is entering a defining moment. What began as pilot activity and isolated retailer initiatives is rapidly evolving into structured, outcome-driven Retail Media Networks (RMNs). In 2026, the market will move decisively from experimentation to scale powered by data, partnerships, and performance accountability.

The question is no longer if retail media works, but how fast it can scale and who is positioned to lead that growth.

Big Bet #1: In-store retail media becomes the most powerful and underpriced channel

By 2026, in-store retail media will be a key performance channel. In the MENA region, most purchases are still made in person, near the shelf, even with the ongoing expansion of e-commerce. The ability to use contextual messaging, measurable activation, and real-time shopper intelligence to influence those decisions has changed.

There is already a definite proof point. Publicis Groupe Middle East, Advertima, Sensodyne, and Majid Al Futtaim’s partnership proved the effectiveness of well-executed in-store marketing. The campaign increased sales by more than 68% by using in-store audience intelligence and shopper behavior signals to trigger contextual messaging at the point of decision. This outcome was influenced by relevance, accuracy, and closed-loop measurement rather than screen volume.

Retailers with strong governance, standardized formats, a clear audience logic, and the capacity to continuously demonstrate incrementality will emerge victorious in 2026, not those with the most screens.

Big Bet #2: Retail off-site media expands into the mainstream

In 2026, off-site retail media will expand quickly throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as retailers continue to engage their first-party audiences outside of their owned spaces. This gives retailers additional monetization tools outside of on-site inventory and enables brands to expand reach while preserving shopper context.

The effects of this change are already being felt. Through the use of identity-led targeting and performance measurement, a partnership between Publicis Groupe Middle East, Beiersdorf, and Majid Al Futtaim engaged retailer audiences offsite, resulting in a sales increase of over 100%. This illustrates how offsite retail media can outperform conventional upper-funnel media while still being outcome-driven if it is linked to solid data foundations and measurement.

Anticipate faster growth in 2026 in the areas of social media, open web, video, and CTV, empowered by identity solutions, clean rooms, and increased agency-retailer cooperation.

Big Bet #3: Partnerships will define scale

Retail media scale in MENA will be driven by partnerships, not isolation. Collaborations between retailers, Brands, agencies, and platforms will become commonplace. Participation in the ecosystem will unlock speed, reach, and operational efficiency; building everything separately will slow execution.

Big Bet #4: Brands transition from trial to full investment

At Publicis Groupe, retail media is already expanding rapidly as more brands transition from test budgets to repeat investment and structured planning. As advertisers become more confident in measurement, incrementality, and commercial transparency, this momentum is anticipated to pick up speed through 2026.

Big Bet #5: Retailers invest in RMN transformation

Retailers will handle RMN as if it were a separate business line. There will be investments in commercial governance, operating models, technology, and leadership. The most prosperous RMNs will function similarly to product organizations, with well-defined roadmaps, scalable offerings, and distinct propositions.

2026 will be the year retail media in MENA becomes more integrated, more measurable, and more ambitious shifting decisively from experimentation to sustainable, scalable growth.