By Hind Rida, Paid Search Manager, iProspect MENA 

If 2023 was the year we flirted with AI, 2025 is the year we commit. 

At Accelerate Google 2025, held in the heart of Dubai, the message was crystal clear: AI is no longer on the horizon — it’s embedded in everything. Especially in performance marketing. From retail to fintech, and from YouTube creators to multinational ecommerce brands, everyone in the room had one question: how do we go further, faster — and smarter? 

The event brought together some of the region’s most forward-thinking advertisers and strategists, offering an unapologetically practical look at what’s next. Unlike past tech summits filled with futuristic hypotheticals, this one stayed grounded. It focused on what we can do today, with the tools already in our hands. 

And the tools are powerful. 

What’s Changing, and Why It Matters 

The biggest shift isn’t just that Google is innovating. It’s that they’re localizing innovation for the UAE, KSA, and the wider MENA region. From AI-powered video ads that self-optimize in real-time, to YouTube Partnership Campaigns that bring creators directly into the Google Ads ecosystem, the technology now mirrors the nuance and behavior of this region’s audiences. 

Sessions unpacked purchase trends across MENA, delved into the seasonal peaks that shape retail calendars, and offered a closer look at cross-border competition. A highlight for me was the presentation our KSA-based case study by Jarir and Merkle that didn’t just perform well, it proved that deep local insight is still the most powerful strategy you can have. 

Then came Meridian, Google’s MMM tool that quietly launched in January. Surprisingly few in the room were using it - proof that even as AI surges, the smartest tools still need champions. As media budgets tighten and scrutiny rises, understanding which channels drive results, and which don’t, is now business-critical. 

AI is the Engine. Strategy is the Driver. 

We’re seeing a redefinition of what performance marketing means. It’s no longer about just bidding smart or targeting well. It’s about combining automation with intent. Speed with substance. Data with instinct. 

At Dentsu, we believe the next wave of marketing leaders in MENA will be those who don’t just adopt new tools, but who ask bigger questions about what those tools unlock. Questions about impact, creativity, and meaning. 

Because AI can deliver reach. But it’s our strategy that delivers relevance.

In the end, Accelerate Google 2025 wasn’t just a glimpse into a more intelligent media ecosystem. It was a reminder that technology is only as powerful as the people who know how to use it, and this region is more ready than ever.