
Naruto The Gallery makes its debut outside of Japan
Naruto The Gallery celebrates 20 years of Naruto, and gives visitors the chance to step into Naruto Uzumaki's world. The exhibition brings together life-size installations, exclusive artwork and rare behind-the-scenes content. Experience includes landscapes of the Hidden Leaf Village, character portrayals, and key moments in the series. Guests can admire artefacts from Japan, interact with displays, and watch large-scale video presentations. If you're after a unique souvenir, limited-edition memorabilia are also available.
Ahmad Khalifa, CEO of Akiba, explained: 'We're thrilled to be partnering with Naruto The Gallery Executive Committee to bring such an authentic and original experience to Dubai. Al Ahli Group and Akiba are committed to growing the pop-culture scene in the region, spanning from West Asia to Africa, and introducing year long, themed experiences and events, celebrating various iconic properties. And kicking off our series of events with Naruto The Gallery, is extra special, as we celebrate Naruto's 20-year legacy by creating an incredible experience for anime fans in the region to connect with the series on a personal level.'
Naruto The Gallery is open weekdays from noon to 10pm, and weekends from noon to 11pm. Tickets are available now and start from AED 60 per person.
Check in with FACT for the latest things to do in the UAE.
GO: Follow @dubaioutletmall on Instagram for more information.
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With TikTok Symphony, we're empowering a global community of marketers, brands and creators to tell stories that resonate, scale and drive impact.' Meta At Cannes Lions 2025, Meta announced a bevy of AI-powered features, including AI agents integrated into advertisements, which permits users to chat with an advertiser's bot immediately when clicking on an ad. Meta also held demonstrations for its collaboration with Ray Ban, highlighting Meta AI features on the sunglasses capable of capturing videos and photos hands-free. In addition to merging creatives with conversational commerce, Meta also showcased ways for brands and advertisers to set up these AI agents on Messenger and WhatsApp through smart prompts. The platform highlighted how performance insights can be derived to hold the 'AI agents' accountable to their knowledge and usefulness. 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Meta is also reportedly testing native ads inside the WhatsApp Updates tab, making it the first time ads will appear inside WhatsApp rather than as a click-through from Instagram or Facebook. However, these chats and channels will be clearly differentiated from the encrypted personal chats, the company clarified. The MENA region shines at Cannes The MENA region has had a great run at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025. Out of the 828 Lion winners from 48 countries, the MENA region claimed a total of 32 wins awarded across agencies and markets – up from 22 in 2024. This year's Cannes Lions MENA winners included agencies from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Impact BBDO led the region on total points and was awarded MENA Network of the Year at Cannes Lions 2025, marking a historic seventh time that the network has claimed the title. In terms of trophies, UAE agencies took home 18 wins, led by FP7 McCann Dubai (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 5 Bronze); VML Dubai; (1 Silver, 3 Bronze); Impact BBDO (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze); and LEO Dubai; (1 Bronze). Sharing the spoils with Impact BBDO, AdPro& Group picked up Jordan's first-ever Silver Lion in Cannes Lions' 72-year history. Representing Saudi Arabia at Cannes Lions, agencies from the Kingdom lifted 13 metal cats, led by BigTime Creative Shop (2 Golds, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze). The agency was also honoured with the Independent Agency of the Year: Entertainment award. Meanwhile, SRMG Labs lifted one Gold and two Silver Lions, and VML Riyadh won one Silver and two Bronze Lions. Burson MENA took home a Gold in the PR category at this year's Young Lions Competitions as the winning team – Raneem Saleh and Youssef Yammine – topped the category for 'The Silent B' campaign. 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The brand and marketing industry needs to be held accountable, leaders surmised, adding that this accountability should not be pigeon-holed to brand equity or performance metrics alone, but should also be extended to the lasting effect that brands have on people, communities, the society at large and the planet. The argument is not a complex one, they said. It's understanding why they got into advertising in the first place and what inspired them to enter this realm of creativity, influence and persuasion. Tarek Miknas, CEO, FP7 McCann MENAT, said, 'My top take away from Cannes Lions 2025 is simplicity. I think the most powerful of the ideas that I've liked are the simplest ones that were able to scale, get attention and make a difference.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Campaign Middle East (@campaignmiddleeast) All in all, the message from Cannes is clear: Marketing is facing a moment of profound transformation. Against the backdrop of generative AI, cultural fragmentation and the creator economy are upending the media landscape. Creativity remains not just a vital differentiator but one that still belongs to humans. The time for change is here. We are moving beyond hyped conversations. The new business plan to drive outcomes and social good – simultaneously – based on experimentation, bravery to fail, and the ability to be agile and pivot quickly within an evolving market. Offering a piece of advice to wrap up discussions at Cannes Lions 2025, Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, UAE Government Media Office, concluded, 'Everyone needs to think big. We all need to get out of our comfort zones. Be curious. Let's do something great together. Let's do something to change our society. Let's be bold and creative.'