Published: 2026-08-23
Mada Media, the company responsible for organising, developing and managing Dubai’s out-of-home (OOH) advertising sector, signed contracts worth approximately AED 1.5 billion in the first half of 2026. The deals, announced on 2026-08-23, cover 683 advertising assets, and 80 local and regional advertising companies took part in the tenders. A significant proportion of the assets is earmarked for conversion into digital platforms, and the company signed its first metro station naming rights agreement with a global brand. For anyone assessing Dubai as a market, the numbers are a direct read on advertiser demand and investor confidence in the emirate’s media infrastructure.
H1 2026 in numbers
The headline figure builds on a strong start to the year: according to the Dubai Media Office, Mada Media had already signed contracts worth nearly AED 1 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone. The half-year totals look as follows:
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Value of contracts signed, H1 2026 | ~AED 1.5 billion |
| Advertising assets covered | 683 |
| Companies participating in tenders | 80 local and regional firms |
| Contracts signed in Q1 2026 alone | ~AED 1 billion |
| First-ever SME-only tender | 18 Emirati companies (Dubai SME members) |
| Metro naming rights agreements | 2 new deals on the Red Line, incl. the first with a global brand |
The participation of 80 advertising companies in a single half-year tender cycle is the figure both executives highlighted. Chairman Matar Al Tayer called it an indication of an expanding investor base and strong demand for the investment opportunities the sector offers.
What was actually tendered
The tenders combined digital and non-digital assets located along major roads and high-traffic areas of Dubai. The published asset mix includes:
- 27 digital unipoles, the large freestanding screens along highways;
- 20 bridge banners, of which six are digital and 14 static;
- four static hoardings;
- advertising displays on lighting poles and flags across the city.
The key structural point: a significant proportion of the non-digital inventory is earmarked for conversion into digital platforms using advanced display technologies and internationally recognised safety standards. CEO Mansoor Al Sabahi said the company’s current focus is exactly this, supporting digital transformation across the sector, adopting the latest screen technologies and enabling global companies to expand their business networks in the local market.
A first-ever tender reserved for Emirati SMEs
For the first time, Mada Media ran an exclusive tender open only to emerging national advertising companies that are members of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME). Eighteen companies participated. The stated goal is to strengthen the competitiveness of Emirati businesses and increase their share of the returns generated by the outdoor advertising sector. For smaller players, this is a rare structured entry point into an asset class that has traditionally been dominated by large regional operators.
Metro naming rights reach global brands
Mada Media also signed two new naming rights agreements for stations on Dubai Metro’s Red Line: one with a local brand and one, for the first time, with a leading global brand. Names and terms have not been disclosed yet; further details are expected at a later stage. Station naming rights are a well-established revenue model in Dubai, and the arrival of a first global brand extends the buyer pool beyond the local market.
Why this matters for businesses in the UAE
Mada Media frames the results as part of its strategy to build a technology-driven OOH sector aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. Three practical takeaways stand out:
- Advertisers get a growing stock of digital screens on Dubai’s main corridors, which means more flexible campaign formats than static contracts allowed.
- Media and advertising companies see a tender pipeline that processed 683 assets and 80 bidders in six months, with a dedicated track for SMEs, a signal that new entrants can realistically compete for inventory.
- Investors get a datapoint on the health of Dubai’s commercial infrastructure: AED 1.5 billion committed to advertising assets in half a year sits alongside broader results such as the 38% profit growth ADX-listed companies reported for the same period, which we covered in our review of ADX H1 2026 results.
How Atlant Capital can help
If the growth of Dubai’s advertising and media market makes you consider operating here, the practical first steps are structural. Atlant Capital supports founders end to end: choosing the right jurisdiction and licence for a media or advertising business through our company setup service, and preparing the file for a corporate account through our bank account opening service, including businesses whose revenue comes from government tenders and long-term media contracts. We work with clients from Russia, the CIS and beyond, in Russian and English.
Conclusion
AED 1.5 billion in contracts, 683 assets, 80 bidders and the first global-brand metro naming rights: Dubai’s outdoor advertising sector delivered a measurable half-year. The direction of travel is explicit, digital screens are replacing static formats, SMEs are being pulled into the market, and monetisation is expanding into transport infrastructure. For companies weighing an entry into the UAE’s media economy, the tender statistics are the most useful signal: the market is growing, and it is procedurally open.
FAQ
What is Mada Media in Dubai?
Mada Media is the company responsible for organising, developing and managing Dubai’s out-of-home (OOH) advertising sector, from highway unipoles and bridge banners to advertising on lighting poles and metro station naming rights. Its chairman is Matar Al Tayer and its CEO is Mansoor Al Sabahi.
How much did Mada Media award in contracts in H1 2026?
Approximately AED 1.5 billion. The contracts covered 683 advertising assets, and 80 local and regional advertising companies participated in the tenders. Nearly AED 1 billion of that was signed in the first quarter of 2026 alone, according to the Dubai Media Office.
Which advertising assets were included in the Dubai tenders?
The tenders included 27 digital unipoles, 20 bridge banners (six digital and 14 static), four static hoardings, and advertising displays on lighting poles and flags, all located along major roads and high-traffic areas of Dubai. A significant proportion of the non-digital assets will be converted into digital platforms.
Who holds naming rights for Dubai Metro stations now?
In H1 2026 Mada Media signed two new naming rights agreements for Red Line stations: one with a local brand and one, for the first time, with a leading global brand. The names of the brands and the commercial terms have not been disclosed yet; details are expected at a later stage.
