M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment announces Middle East expansion

With a strong track record of delivering impactful campaigns for global giants including adidas, Barclays, Absolut, UEFA and Heineken, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has been at the forefront of its space for 20 years, connecting brands to consumers through the things they love, making brands culturally relevant through passions.

Our entry into the UAE is driven by growing client demand in one of the world’s most rapidly expanding sport and entertainment markets. This marks M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment’s seventh global offer since its establishment in 2004, and we will replicate our service model, delivering powerful integrated campaigns across sponsorships, PR, social, digital, content, activations and more, all designed to resonate deeply with the passions of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) markets.

The offer will be led by M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment London’s Managing Partner Ross Watson, who will export his expertise running multi-market campaigns and will be supported by Rasha Lambe, UAE Business Director, who will spearhead client work locally, driving the agency’s growth with a team of passion specialists in the region.

Recognised for its creative excellence, our team at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has earned multiple industry accolades, including being named Agency of the Year at the UK Sponsorship Awards this year and winning the coveted Sport Industry Agency of the Year title a record six times.

M&C Saatchi UAE’s local capabilities will broaden by welcoming our passions agency and its capabilities to the region. M&C Saatchi UAE’s existing client network is already engaging with the offer, with AC Milan and its Middle East hub, Casa Milan Dubai, inking a partnership.

Ross Watson said: “There is a real opportunity to bring our specialism and approach to brands based in the Middle East where we can combine the global knowledge and experience of our London HQ with local market expertise through a uniquely blended team of passion specialists giving clients exactly what they are looking for- global thinking with local nuance.”

M&C Saatchi UAE CEO Scott Feasey commented: “Now is the ideal time to launch Sport & Entertainment in the GCC- a market experiencing remarkable growth and gaining global recognition. This new offering not only complements our existing services but also positions us to significantly amplify the impact of brands in this thriving sector. I’m very excited to welcome the agency to the region.”

This expansion follows the arrival of Robin Clarke, who joined as Global CEO just two weeks ago and commented: “I’m excited to grow M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment globally and the introduction of a new offer in a market that’s rich with opportunity is an exciting step on our broader growth plan.”

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