6 days ago
The global DOOH explosion is here
The numbers don't lie: Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising is experiencing unprecedented growth that's reshaping the entire advertising ecosystem. Global DOOH market value surpassed $27.5bn in 2024, up from around $24.3bn in 2023, and is projected to exceed $74bn by 2032. This isn't just growth – it's a fundamental transformation of how brands connect with consumers in the physical world.
What makes this particularly compelling is the velocity of change. According to WARC, global investment in DOOH grew by 15.0 per cent in 2024 and is projected to increase a further 14.9 per cent in 2025, reaching $17.6bn. We're witnessing sustained double-digit growth in a mature advertising market – a clear signal that DOOH has evolved from an experimental channel to a strategic imperative.
The DOOH ecosystem
Traditional DOOH accounts for 94 per cent budget globally and in this region it is almost 98 per cent. Programmatic is an emerging trend but has many gaps. While programmatic DOOH has captured headlines globally, it's important to recognise its current scale in the Middle East context. Programmatic represents approximately 2 per cent of GCC DOOH spending – a small but growing segment of what remains a predominantly direct-buy market.
The gradual programmatic adoption means that brands can focus on mastering DOOH fundamentals – creative optimisation, location strategy and audience understanding – without the complexity of automated buying platforms. The 98 per cent of spending flowing through traditional channels represents proven, relationship-driven approaches that deliver measurable results through established partnerships and market knowledge.
Winning the attention war
In an era of ad-blocking, banner blindness and privacy concerns, DOOH offers something increasingly rare: authentic, unblockable engagement. DOOH ranks among the top five channels consumers prefer, particularly because it involves in-person interaction, and is recognised as one of the top three channels capturing consumer attention most.
The technological sophistication driving this preference is remarkable. Modern DOOH campaigns leverage contextual intelligence – adapting creative content based on weather, time of day, local events, and even real-time traffic patterns, traffic trends and historical performance.
Perhaps most significantly, DOOH addresses the industry's biggest challenge: measurement and transparency. Research shows that exposure to any form of OOH advertising amplifies attention on private screens by 52 per cent. This 'priming effect' creates measurable lift across digital channels, solving the attribution puzzle that has long plagued outdoor advertising.
The Middle East opportunity
While global markets are embracing DOOH, the Middle East and North Africa region represents one of the most compelling growth stories. The MENA DOOH market is expected to reach $390.66mn in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of 16.41 per cent to reach $835.12mn by 2030.
This isn't just about market size – it's about market timing. The region's unique characteristics create perfect conditions for DOOH adoption: Saudi Arabia has emerged as the undisputed leader in regional DOOH adoption, with digital formats representing an extraordinary 90 per cent of total out-of-home advertising spend in the Kingdom. This level of digital penetration is among the highest globally, positioning Saudi Arabia as a true DOOH-first market that has leapfrogged traditional static outdoor advertising. The Kingdom's approach is particularly strategic.
In Saudi Arabia, there has been a notable trend towards the use of digital billboards in major cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah, with these digital displays offering advertisers the flexibility to change their messaging quickly and easily. This near-complete digital transformation means that brands entering the Saudi market must think digitally from day one – traditional static approaches simply don't align with market infrastructure or audience expectations.
This flexibility aligns perfectly with Vision 2030's emphasis on economic diversification and digital transformation, with the urban population reaching 30.36 million in 2022. Meanwhile, the UAE's DOOH market represents a fascinating study in innovation and premium positioning. The UAE's DOOH advertising market is expected to reach $54.7mn by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.9 per cent from 2024 to 2030.
What sets the UAE apart is not just market size, but market sophistication. The UAE is witnessing a surge in digital out-of-home advertising, leveraging advanced technology to engage consumers in innovative ways. Dubai, in particular, has become a testing ground for cutting-edge DOOH experiences.
Why monitoring matters more than ever
The explosive growth of DOOH brings both opportunity and responsibility. As marketing budgets shift toward digital channels, accountability becomes paramount.
DOOH's advantage lies not just in its reach, but in its measurability. Modern DOOH platforms provide real-time monitoring capabilities that traditional outdoor could never offer:
Impression verification: Proof-of-play technology that confirms when and where ads are actually displayed.
Audience analytics: Detailed demographic and behavioural data about who engaged with campaigns.
Cross-channel attribution: Tracking how DOOH exposure influences online search, social engagement, and purchase behaviour.
Environmental context: Understanding how external factors (weather, events, traffic) impact campaign performance
This transparency revolution is particularly crucial in the Middle East, where marketing leaders demand ROI accountability and performance justification. The ability to monitor campaign delivery in real-time, adjust messaging based on performance data, and provide stakeholders with granular reporting transforms DOOH from a brand-building expense into a measurable growth driver. The monitoring capabilities extend beyond campaign metrics to operational intelligence: Which locations drive the highest engagement? What times of day yield optimal attention rates? How do different creative approaches perform across various audience segments?
This level of insight enables continuous optimisation that compounds campaign effectiveness over time. For regional leaders, the question isn't whether to embrace DOOH – it's how quickly they can scale their capabilities to match the pace of change while ensuring every campaign delivers measurable, transparent results. The brands that master this balance will gain not just market share, but the operational sophistication to thrive in an increasingly complex advertising landscape.
By Khaldoun Zaghir, General Manager, 5th Element.
