What’s On/Ads
Billboards, screens and transit: the state of outdoor advertising in the UAE
Outdoor takes a far bigger share of ad budgets in the UAE than elsewhere. In 2026 Dubai handed out about 1.5 billion dirhams of contracts in six months, a single company now runs the emirate's ad sites and permits, and digital screens keep spreading.
Drive down Sheikh Zayed Road and it is obvious that outdoor advertising matters here. Campaign Middle East reported in June 2026 that it accounts for 20 to 25 percent of UAE ad spend, compared with less than 10 percent worldwide. In Dubai, the way it is managed has changed significantly.
One company for Dubai's ad sites
Under Dubai Law No. 20 of 2024, issued on 12 September 2024, Mada Media manages and operates advertising sites across the emirate, with Mattar Al Tayer as chairman and the Dubai Investment Fund behind it. The Roads and Transport Authority and Dubai Municipality can transfer their advertising roles and assets to it. Since 24 April 2025, one online platform handles permits for roadside sites, public transport, commercial vehicles and private property.
Big contracts
- Dubai awarded about 1.5 billion dirhams of outdoor contracts covering 683 assets in the first half of 2026, from around 80 bidders, Khaleej Times reported on 28 September.
- In the first quarter, Mada signed 971.3 million dirhams of contracts lasting five to seven years.
- A PwC study cited by Mada says Dubai makes up about 73 percent of the UAE's outdoor spend, in a market worth roughly 3.5 billion dirhams gross in 2025.
The shift to digital
In April 2026, Hills Advertising and Mada agreed 94 bridge banners, 20 of them becoming digital screens, plus lamppost banners along Dubai's main roads. Digital now represents almost a third of UAE outdoor spend, according to Communicate. In Abu Dhabi, Hypermedia signed an eight-year deal on 2 October for AI and programmatic screens at Marina Mall, and Elevision, which places screens in residential buildings, added four new residential circuits in January.
On the move
Transit advertising is a large part of the picture. Info Media Group runs more than 9,000 transit advertising assets in the UAE, under concessions in Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah and a taxi network in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, reaching around 20 million passengers a year. On 2 October it announced a ten-year plan for 21 markets, led from Dubai, with Saudi Arabia next. Multiply Media Group, formed in June 2025 from BackLite, Viola and Media 247, runs around 3,000 units including premium sites on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Getting it right
- Ask your media owner which permits apply and who will secure them, particularly for vehicles and buildings.
- Use digital screens to change messages by time of day or around events.
- Design for speed. A bridge banner is read in seconds, so keep it bold and simple.
- Track results with a unique QR code or short link for each placement.
- Preview your artwork in place before it goes to print.
Planning a campaign people will see on the road, in the mall or on the metro? ALXO can design it, mock it up and connect it to your digital channels. Get in touch.
