AI and data redefine how brands connect with Middle East travellers

 As travel to the region hits new highs, Evgenii Pavlov, General Manager for Yango Ads in MEA, shares how AI-driven targeting, first-party data, and multi-channel strategies are transforming digital advertising performance across the region. 

1. What are the most exciting developments in digital advertising in the region?

Digital advertising in the region is being reshaped by AI-driven personalisation and advanced contextual targeting. With UAE internet penetration close to 99%, the challenge is no longer reach but relevance. As 42% of consumers now use ad blockers, only meaningful, personalised campaigns break through.

AI and modern adtech enable brands to interpret consumer behaviour in real time and deliver messages at the exact moment of intent. At the same time, first-party, consent-based data is becoming essential for privacy-safe, effective marketing. These shifts are helping travel and hospitality brands move from broad awareness to driving real bookings and engagement. 

2. How can adtech help travel and hospitality brands maximise campaigns during peak periods? 

With 27.6 million international visitors projected for the UAE in 2025, adtech is critical for capturing peak-season demand. Travel peaks vary—summer for emerging markets and winter for GCC residents—so timing is everything.

AI-powered platforms analyse booking patterns, loyalty behaviour, and mobility signals to predict intent and personalise messages instantly. Travellers then see the most relevant offer—family holidays, cultural trips, or luxury escapes—right when they’re planning.

Adtech also supports multi-channel orchestration, ensuring consistent messaging across search, social, programmatic display, and digital out-of-home. This leads to smarter budget allocation, stronger engagement, and higher conversion throughout seasonal spikes.

3. What role does AI-driven targeting play in improving campaign performance for advertisers? 

AI-driven targeting is now central to effective advertising in the Middle East, especially with 48% of travellers saying personalised ads influence destination choice.

By analysing first-party data such as search behaviour and booking history, AI delivers precise, relevant messaging across channels. It learns continuously, optimising creative, audience segments, and budget allocation for maximum ROI.

For hotels, this can mean promoting a family package to parents searching for weekend getaways instead of using generic ads—turning engagement into bookings and long-term loyalty. 

4. How can brands use AI and multi-channel strategies to reach new customers effectively? 

Single-channel approaches no longer work. Brands must integrate AI, first-party data, and multi-channel orchestration into a unified system. Strong data foundations—loyalty programs, past stays, and mobile interactions—feed AI models that identify high-value audience segments.

Coordinated messaging across search, social, programmatic, and DOOH ensures consistency, while AI keeps campaigns adaptive in real time. When combined with culturally resonant storytelling, brands can both reach new audiences and convert them into repeat customers. 

5. What trends should advertisers watch for in 2026? 

Key 2026 trends include hyper-personalisation, purpose-led storytelling, and privacy-first advertising driven by the decline of third-party cookies. Brands will rely more on first-party data, contextual targeting, and AI-generated creative that feels personal without being intrusive. 

Connected multi-channel ecosystems—including DOOH—will continue to grow as travellers engage across screens. Measurement will shift toward full-funnel attribution, linking campaigns to bookings, stays, and loyalty metrics.

With UAE tourism contributing over $70 billion to GDP in 2024, brands that master AI, data, and multi-channel strategies will be best positioned for success.