The Top 10 Digital Marketing Specialists in Dubai

Are you an aspiring digital marketer looking to make it big in the industry? If so, then this list of the top 10 digital marketing specialists in Dubai is for you.

We’ve put together a list of gurus and specialists with decades of experience and hundreds of successful projects under their belts. Read on and see how their stories and examples might inspire you.

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #1: Bassem Saber

The first digital marketing specialist in Dubai for this list is Bassem Saber, Head of Performance Marketing in the Dubai-based digital marketing agency Igloo.

Bassem has over 9 years of experience in the industry–experience that he’s keen to share by speaking at workshops and conferences on digital marketing.

When planning campaigns, his main strategy is segregation: to imagine each component of a campaign as part of a larger whole, and fine-tuning those parts to match his own high standards for output.

“Brand yourself. Be more visible, be more credible, be more profitable.”

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #2: Leonard Rego

Next on this list is Leonard Rego. Leonard has been the founder, CEO and Chief Strategist of Eleven777 Design and Advertising since 2007. He’s currently the strategist behind the marketing initiatives for Emaar Hospitality, Emaar Properties, Messe Frankfurt, Herz, Louis Vuitton, and other regional and international brands.

Leonard sets himself apart from the pack by taking a proactive approach to trendspotting and monitoring the factors that lead to the occurrence of new trends. Moreover, he believes that the power of brand integrity outweighs brand equity by a mile.

“Life is short, and if someone doesn’t tell it like it is, then everyone else is wasting their time and marketing dollars in ways that don’t work anymore. “

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #3: Fahim Safdar

Third on the list is Fahim Safdar, the current Digital Marketing Manager at Sky High Advertising. Boasting 11 years of experience in the field, Fahim has also spent time in the service of SpiralClick Web Technologies and the Strokes Group.

Like the previous entry on this list, he pursues his goal of delivering value to a target market by taking a look at the fundamentals that drive successful content: audience intent.

“Without delivering value, you can’t expect to receive value in return. But to reach that goal, you have to focus on understanding your audience’s commercial intent.”

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #4: Saif Kidwai

The fourth digital marketing specialist in Dubai began his career in London. Saif Kidwai was a co-founder of the digital recruitment agency Digital Gurus in 2008, and is currently the Managing Director of their Dubai office. His firm has won a number of awards, including the 2015 Recruiter Award for “Best Company to Work For” and the 2018 “Most Socially Engaged Staffing Agencies” Award from LinkedIn.

Saif works with both expert knowledge and a healthy obsession with team-building. This is evident in his philosophy: that building strong relationships with one’s clients will inevitably lead to a more conducive working dynamic, and ultimately, stellar output.

“Digital is most definitely the place to be… and it’s an even better time to be a guru.”

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #5: Sajid Sulaiman

Halfway through our list of digital marketing specialists in Dubai is Sajid Sulaiman: a media producer, web designer, and a digital marketing manager for Qubes LLC and Speed House Group.

Sajid prefers to extend his involvement beyond management, and keeps an active role in the design and execution stages of his campaigns. His self-professed flexibility is supported by his myriad client testimonials that praise his go-getter attitude, and fearless humility when owning up to mistakes (before promptly correcting them).

“Coming up with the right marketing mix is a part science and part arts job”

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #6: Ivan Budko

Kicking off the second half of our list is Ivan Budko, owner of IB-TRAINING since 2017 and CEO of Elarum Business Seminars. His track record includes a whopping total of over 30,000 attendants for his seminars, and has even appeared on the cover of Business Emirates Magazine.

Ivan incorporates both marketing and sales experience into his professional approach, and one of his most noteworthy traits is his habit of engaging in post-campaign and seminar conversations to learn how his influence helps his clients and attendees grow.

“If you show them that you understand their needs, what they really want, it will build a connection.”

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #7: Liam Chappells

Next up is another specialist that got his start in the UK. Liam Chappells has worked in Dubai since 2012 and is the founder of two Dubai-based digital marketing agencies: The Link Chaps and Flare Digital Agency. Some of his previous clients who have lauded his companies’ approaches to SEO marketing are Zaini Media, Chaps & Co., and Beauty Solutions.

The success of his agencies are due to the fact that he prioritizes ease and accessibility when interfacing with his clients. The reasoning behind this is simple: perfect information sharing leads to better work engagements.

“By providing answers and solutions to your ideal audience’s pain-points, you can build a strong network of followers and subscribers.”

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #8: Awad Abdelgayoum

The sole SEO freelancer on this list, Awad Abdelgayoum began working in online marketing in 2006 and now uses his personal brand, Breaze8, to reach his clients. Awad has a long list of clients under his belt, including Mama Chia, Vowmart, OnlineChinamall.com, Modern Avenues, Vilado Paris, Emarat Petroleum, and more.

He takes a personalized approach to campaigns by making their foundations story-based. To this end, he taps into what he’s learned from the fields of psychology, consumer behavior, and neuro-marketing–leading to a scientifically-backed, and well-rounded approach to digital marketing.

“A brand is not a single campaign, it is a shaped perception”

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #9: Elie Khouri

Nearing the end of the list is Elie Khouri, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA since 2006. The agency and Elie himself are both distinguished in the market for communications planning; the Dubai branch of Omnicom was named one of the Top 10 Best Places to Work, and Elie was named by the Great Place to Work Institute as “Leader of the Year” in 2017.

He credits these milestones to his focus on team and individual empowerment. He’s an advocate of the idea that satisfying all levels of organization can lead to greater heights of success.

“Innovation, agility, disruption, curiosity and empowerment aren’t just buzzwords to me – they’re values I live my life by”

Digital Marketing Specialist in Dubai #10: Rayan Tarraf

The final digital marketing specialist on our list is Rayan Tarraf. His experience spans 13 years, including years spent as Samsung’s Content and Digital Services Operations Manager for MENA region and as the Head of Digital and Social Media for Novo Cinemas. Rayan eventually founded his own agency Glimpse Digital Agency, in 2017.

Throughout his career, he’s won an impressive set of awards including the MENA Digital Awards’ “Best Use of Social Media” Award in 2016 and Gulf Digital Experience Awards’ “Digital Professional of the Year” Award in the same year.

While it may be ironic considering his success in a very calculating industry, his mindset is one that veers away from strict corporate traditionalism and focuses instead on instinct.

“I am a geek at heart and deeply enjoy combining my evangelistic love of technology with my penchant for business.”