Dubai, UAE- Dragons of MENA, a results-focused marketing communications awards programme built on 26 years of credibility, is debuting in Dubai.
The programme is an extension of the PMAA Dragons of Asia Awards, established in 2000 and recognised as one of the industry’s most respected results-focused awards programmes, with satellite programmes already running in Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It has been created in response to growing demand from agencies and brand owners across the region.
The Dragons of Asia have been acknowledged by WARC alongside leading global effectiveness awards, including Cannes Lions, the IPA Effectiveness Awards and the Effies.
In its inaugural year, Dragons of MENA will feature 10 categories: eight core categories drawn from the Dragons of Asia alongside two additional categories designed to reflect regional priorities and context, including Nation, City & Place Impact and Faith, and Arabic Culture & Seasonal Communications. All entries are judged equally across four criteria: strategy, concept, execution and results.
Mike Da Silva, Founder of The Dragons of Asia said: “The Gulf and wider Middle East represent some of the fastest-growing and most creatively vibrant markets in the world and expanding the Dragons here is a significant moment for us.
“Our ambition is to bring the entire creative community together, from long-established consultancies to the independent agencies doing exceptional work that too often goes unrecognised. Dragons of MENA exists to change that.”
A Platform for Work That Delivers
The MENA region has long been producing world-class marketing communications work, much of it underrepresented in global awards. Unlike programmes that celebrate craft and creativity alone, Dragons of MENA recognises campaigns that deliver measurable business results: sales, behaviour change, brand growth, loyalty and acquisition.
Entries are open to agencies of all sizes, brand owners, government entities, NGOs and in-house marketing teams across the MENA region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait and beyond. Eligible campaigns must have run between 1 January 2025 and 15 June, 2026.
The programme fills a gap for disciplines such as promotional marketing, PR, experiential, activation and shopper marketing, where results matter as much as the creative idea.
The Meaning of the Dragon
In Asia, the Dragon is a symbol of strength, wisdom and prosperity. In the MENA region, the symbolism carries a different nuance: the Dragon represents a force to be faced, challenged and ultimately conquered. To earn a Dragon here is not simply to win. It is to overcome.
SOURCE: MEDIA RELEASE / SUPPLIED CONTENT WITH IMAGES
