A new addition has been added to the regional awards calendar. Dragons of MENA, an extension of the acclaimed PMAA Dragons of Asia Awards, has now launched – the first time the 26-year-old programme's results-driven philosophy has been brought to the Middle East and North Africa.
The awards event is planned for September in Dubai, with venue and event partner details to be announced.
The Dragons of Asia Awards, founded in 2000 by Sydney-based marketing veteran Mike Da Silva, has established itself as one of the industry's most credible effectiveness programmes. Acknowledged by WARC alongside global heavyweights including Cannes Lions, the IPA Effectiveness Awards and the Effies, the Dragons franchise already has satellite programmes in Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
For Da Silva, the move is both strategic and long overdue. "The Gulf and wider Middle East represent some of the fastest-growing and most creatively vibrant markets in the world and expanding the Dragons here is a significant moment for us," he said. "Our ambition is to bring the entire creative community together, from long-established consultancies to the independent agencies doing exceptional work that too often goes unrecognised. Dragons of MENA exists to change that."
Open to all
In its inaugural year, the awards will feature ten categories: eight directly from the Dragons of Asia framework, including the Public Relations category, where Dragons are "awarded to campaigns which effectively involved any PR executional tactic to promote a product or service, using traditional, non-traditional media".
The two localised additions, designed to acknowledge the cultural and commercial priorities of the MENA market, are Nation, City & Place Impact and Faith, Arabic Culture & Seasonal Communications.
Entries are open to agencies of all sizes, brand owners, government entities, NGOs and in-house marketing teams across the MENA region including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait and beyond. Eligible campaigns must have run between 1 January 2025 and 15 June 2026.
A single entry fee of AU$200 (approximately US$140) covers submission to both Dragons of MENA and the Dragons of Asia Awards, giving entrants the potential for both regional and pan-Asian recognition through a single submission. Winners will also benefit from additional global visibility through AdForum, the programme's official media partner.
Top-scoring Dragons of MENA winners will also qualify to compete at the Dragons of Asia in Kuala Lumpur in October, where campaigns from across Asia and MENA compete for Red, Blue, Gold, Silver and Black Dragons.
Entries are now open across all ten categories, with the submission deadline set for 15 June 2026.
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