Marketing leaders across the Middle East and GCC are operating in an environment defined by heightened uncertainty, increased performance pressure, and rising expectations around brand accountability. At ABG’s first CMO Forum, senior leaders from across industries came together for a series of closed-door discussions focused on one central challenge: how to drive measurable business growth while protecting long-term brand equity.

While industries and market conditions varied, several consistent themes emerged throughout the conversations. Leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining customer-centric decision making, strategic clarity, measurement discipline, and investment in innovation, even during periods of instability. At the same time, there was broad agreement around the need to move away from excessive complexity, reactive short-termism, and low-value marketing tactics that weaken long-term brand strength.

Clear priorities where marketing leaders believe greater focus and discipline are now required:

• Balancing short-term commercial performance with long-term brand equity
• Building stronger customer-focused and experience-led organizations
• Improving operational alignment across teams and functions
• Investing in CRM, personalization, and marketing infrastructure
• Simplifying decision-making and reducing organizational complexity
• Strengthening brand trust through action, consistency, and delivery
• Expanding the role of the CMO beyond communications into organizational leadership

The discussions also highlighted a growing shift toward more experience-led business models, where operational alignment, customer experience, personalization, and organizational agility are becoming central drivers of sustainable growth. Increasingly, CMOs are expected to play a broader leadership role, balancing immediate commercial pressures with long-term value creation across the organization.

This first-edition ABG CMO Forum report captures the priorities, tensions, and strategic shifts shaping marketing leadership across the region today, offering a grounded perspective on how brands can continue to grow while building resilience for the future.