In this special episode of The MadTech Podcast, Terry Kane, managing director at The Trade Desk, joins ExchangeWire CEO Rachel Smith in Cannes to discuss ad tech in the MENA region.

MENA’s ad tech ecosystem is ascending in maturity. The region’s cultural cycles and consumption patterns provide unique growth vectors, with strong momentum in open internet channels, CTV, retail data, telco-enabled identity, and DOOH. Education and local presence are needed to unlock value and shift budgets from walled gardens, while fragmented regulations make identity solutions a priority.

Agentic AI is poised to help the region leapfrog stages of digital evolution, redefining discoverability, performance, and the advertising value chain. Over the next 3-5 years, agents will drive omnichannel planning and enable regional brands’ global expansion. As consumer discovery shifts to LLMs, prompting becomes a core marketing lever, while backend AI will redefine scale and profitability in programmatic.

We're delighted to be heading to MENA for our first ever ATS Dubai event in November. If you're interested in commercial opportunities at the event, contact sales@thewirecorp.com.