INSITE OOH Media Platform

The UAE’s Out-of-Home (OOH) landscape remained dynamic throughout December 2025, as brands across industries vied for audience attention through a mix of traditional and digital formats.

According to recent tracking, real estate maintained its lead with 10 OOH campaigns rolled out across billboards, digital screens, and mixed-format sites. Closely matching this momentum, fashion wear also recorded 10 campaigns—an alignment that clearly reflects the influence of seasonal retail peaks, such as Black Friday, where fashion brands ramp up visibility to compete at the same intensity as property developers.

Our understanding of this evolving landscape is shaped by close monitoring of Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman—markets where traffic patterns, urban momentum, and strategic billboard locations play a key role in how brands engage audiences daily. Through a blend of on-ground observation and digital tracking, we documented not just the presence and frequency of campaigns, but the impact they deliver. By layering these insights with mobility and demographic data, and rigorously validating the results, we translated raw observations into a clear, reliable snapshot of brand activity and market trends across these three dynamic emirates.

Sector Highlights

Dominating the OOH landscape, Real Estate firmly took the lead with 19 campaigns, reinforcing the sector’s continued reliance on outdoor advertising to build scale, trust, and long-term visibility. Close behind, Entertainment followed with 14 campaigns, underlining how experiential and content-driven brands are increasingly using OOH to generate buzz and drive mass awareness across the UAE.

A strong second tier emerged with Jewelry activating 8 campaigns and Events & Exhibitions rolling out 7 campaigns, highlighting the sustained appetite for lifestyle-led storytelling and time-sensitive promotions in high-impact outdoor locations. Cosmetics & Personal Care and Hospitality & Tourism also showed solid momentum, recording 6 campaigns each, as brands in both sectors leaned into OOH to capture aspirational and experience-seeking audiences.

Mid-range activity came from Fashion Wear and Automotive, with 5 campaigns each, signaling steady investment from brands balancing brand-building with tactical visibility. Foodservice followed with 4 campaigns, maintaining a presence in key high-traffic zones despite a more selective rollout.

Further down the spectrum, Furniture & Interiors logged 3 campaigns, while Financial Services and Retail Shopping recorded 2 campaigns each, reflecting more targeted or strategic OOH use. Meanwhile, Consumer Electronics and Pharmaceuticals & Biotech each activated 1 campaign, rounding out the mix.

Overall, the data reflects a dynamic and competitive OOH environment, where high-investment sectors dominate scale while niche categories deploy outdoor advertising selectively to sharpen impact and relevance.

First-Timers on the OOH Stage

December has a fresh set of brands making their debut on the UAE’s OOH landscape, with Binance, ARY & MAZ Developments, and Claritine’s Clari Spray stepping confidently into the outdoor spotlight. Each brand leveraged high-visibility placements as a strategic entry point, using OOH to introduce themselves to a broad and diverse audience.

From a global digital platform like Binance testing mass-market visibility, to ARY & MAZ Developments expanding their footprint within the real estate space, these first-time advertisers reflect the versatility of OOH across very different sectors. Clari Spray, representing the consumer products category, further highlights how even niche or functional brands are increasingly turning to outdoor media to drive instant recognition and recall.

Together, these new entrants reinforce OOH’s role as a trusted launchpad for brands entering or scaling within the UAE market. Whether the objective is to build credibility, signal market arrival, or rapidly establish awareness, outdoor advertising continues to deliver unmatched reach and impact. As competition intensifies, these debut campaigns prove that when brands want to make a strong first impression, the UAE’s skyline remains one of the most powerful stages to do it.

Formats in Focus

In December, Digital Screens dominated the OOH landscape, accounting for 45 campaign appearances. Their strong presence across prime urban locations reinforced their role as the go-to format for brands seeking high impact, flexibility, and dynamic storytelling in fast-moving environments.

Hoardings followed closely with 38 campaigns, proving that large-format static inventory continues to deliver scale and long-lasting visibility. Positioned along major roads and key districts, hoardings remained a cornerstone for brands aiming to establish a bold and consistent market presence.

Uni-Poles recorded 23 campaign appearances, highlighting their effectiveness as a high-reach format along highways and arterial roads. Their elevated positioning ensures extended exposure, making them a reliable choice for sustained brand recall.

Supporting formats played a more targeted yet strategic role. Lampposts contributed 9 campaigns, enhancing frequency at street level and within dense urban zones, while Bridge Billboards appeared in 5 campaigns, leveraging unavoidable commuter touchpoints.

At the premium end of the spectrum, Wall Wrapping and Rooftop Billboards registered 2 campaigns each, reflecting selective, high-impact executions designed for standout visibility. Meanwhile, Mega Com appeared once, underscoring its niche but powerful role in the OOH mix.

Emirates Snapshot

In December, Dubai firmly anchored the UAE’s OOH activity, registering 77 campaign appearances across its most active corridors and high-visibility districts. With continuous exposure spanning major roads and urban hubs, the city remained the primary stage for brands seeking scale, dominance, and sustained presence in the outdoor space.

Sharjah followed with 14 campaigns, reflecting its steady rise as a strategic extension to Dubai-centric plans. As residential density and daily traffic continue to grow, the emirate offers advertisers a valuable opportunity to reinforce messaging and engage audiences beyond the core metro areas.

Ajman recorded 6 campaigns, maintaining its role as a supporting market that enhances overall reach. Positioned along key northern routes, Ajman continues to serve as a natural extension for brands looking to strengthen visibility and frequency across the wider UAE footprint.

Key Takeaways

Real Estate continued to lead OOH activity with 18 campaigns, reinforcing its position as the most dominant advertiser and a consistent driver of outdoor investment across the market.

Entertainment followed with 14 campaigns, highlighting the sector’s reliance on high-visibility formats to promote releases, experiences, and seasonal activations, particularly in high-footfall urban areas.

Events & Exhibitions and Jewelry each recorded 7 campaigns, reflecting strong momentum from event-led promotions and premium retail brands seeking standout exposure in key city locations.

Cosmetics & Personal Care and Hospitality & Tourism contributed 6 campaigns each, underlining sustained demand for consumer-centric messaging and destination-driven visibility.

Fashion Wear and Automotive remained active with 5 campaigns apiece, showcasing steady engagement from lifestyle and mobility brands aiming to maintain market presence.

Foodservice delivered 4 campaigns, emphasizing everyday relevance and frequent-touchpoint visibility, while Furniture & Interiors added 3 campaigns, supporting targeted outreach within the home and lifestyle segment.

On the niche end, Financial Services, Mobile Apps, and Retail Shopping posted 2 campaigns each, reflecting focused, tactical activity.

Meanwhile, single-campaign appearances from Banking, Telecommunications, Media & Broadcasting, Consumer Electronics, Pharmaceuticals & Biotech, and Food & Beverages added depth and diversity to the overall OOH mix during the period.

Final Words

As 2025 draws to a close, the UAE’s Out-of-Home landscape continues to prove its relevance as a high-impact, high-confidence channel for brands operating at every scale. From dominant real estate players to first-time advertisers testing the market, OOH remains a strategic platform where visibility translates into credibility and presence into performance.

The data from December underscores a market driven by both scale and selectivity. While high-investment sectors such as real estate and entertainment continue to lead in volume, the diversity of participating industries reflects a maturing ecosystem where brands are using outdoor media with greater precision, purpose, and contextual awareness. The growing reliance on digital screens, coupled with the sustained strength of traditional formats, highlights a balanced mix that supports both storytelling and reach.

Geographically, Dubai’s dominance reaffirms its role as the epicenter of outdoor exposure, while Sharjah and Ajman continue to strengthen their positions as valuable extensions within multi-emirate strategies. Together, these markets form a connected OOH network that allows brands to scale efficiently while maintaining relevance across varied audience segments.

Ultimately, this period reinforces a clear takeaway: OOH in the UAE is no longer just about being seen—it’s about being strategically placed, contextually relevant, and meaningfully present. As competition intensifies and brand expectations evolve, outdoor advertising remains one of the few channels capable of delivering lasting impact in a fast-moving, attention-fragmented world.