ABG LEADERSHIP FORUM
The ABG CMO Forum is part of the Advertising Business Group’s commitment to supporting marketing leadership across the Middle East, with a dedicated focus on the Middle East as a strategic growth market. Through invitation-only forums and executive gatherings, ABG creates opportunities for brand leaders to exchange insights, explore emerging trends, and strengthen leadership capability in a rapidly evolving marketing landscape.
By bringing together CMOs responsible for some of the region’s leading brands, the forum contributes to deeper collaboration and strategic thinking across the UAE ‘s marketing ecosystem and its integration with the wider Middle East region.
Key Topics
Discussions at the 2nd Edition of the ABG CMO Forum 2026 will focus on the priorities shaping marketing leadership in the region today, including:
- The evolving role of the Chief Marketing Officer as a business growth leader in the GCC market
- Artificial intelligence and marketing transformation across the Middle East
- Building brand trust and relevance with consumers in a rapidly changing environment
- Strengthening marketing effectiveness and measurement across complex media ecosystems
- Leadership priorities for CMOs navigating Vision 2030, economic diversification, and shifting consumer expectations.
The ABG CMO Forum 2026 – Dubai (2nd Edition) will take place on July 2, 2026, from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm in Dubai, UAE. Organized by the Advertising Business Group (ABG), the forum brings together Chief Marketing Officers and senior brand leaders from leading companies operating across the UAE and the wider Middle East.
The ABG CMO Forum is designed as a closed-door leadership gathering where senior marketing decision-makers can exchange perspectives on the strategic issues shaping marketing leadership across the region today. Discussions often include the role of artificial intelligence in marketing, brand trust, marketing effectiveness, consumer behavior, and the evolving media landscape across the UAE and the broader region.
By bringing together senior leaders responsible for brand growth and marketing strategy in one of the world’s fastest-evolving consumer markets, the ABG CMO Forum creates a trusted environment for peer dialogue, knowledge exchange, and industry leadership among the region’s most senior marketers.
Through leadership forums such as this, the Advertising Business Group supports collaboration among brand leaders and advances responsible, effective, and future-ready marketing across the UAE and Middle East marketing ecosystem.
The forum encourages candid dialogue among senior marketing leaders on how organizations can adapt their strategies to remain competitive in the Middle East’s fast-evolving marketing landscape.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
The ABG CMO Forum is designed exclusively for Chief Marketing Officers and senior brand leaders responsible for marketing strategy, brand growth, and customer engagement in the Middle East.
Participants typically include:
- Chief Marketing Officers based in or responsible for any area in the Middle East
- Regional Heads of Marketing with GCC market oversight
- Senior brand and marketing leaders responsible for major brands operating across the Middle East.
The invitation-only format ensures an environment where senior leaders can exchange perspectives openly and discuss the strategic challenges shaping modern marketing leadership.
REGIONAL CONTEXT
Marketing leaders in the Middle East are navigating an unprecedented period of transformation, rapid digital adoption, a young, highly connected consumer base, and growing expectations for marketing accountability and business impact.
Artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, and shifts in media consumption are reshaping how brands engage with audiences. At the same time, CMOs across the region are increasingly expected to demonstrate marketing effectiveness while maintaining responsible, culturally relevant, and trustworthy brand communication.
Leadership forums such as the ABG CMO Forum provide an important platform for CMOs and brand leaders to exchange insights, explore emerging opportunities, and strengthen collaboration within the Middle East’s marketing leadership community.