The 72nd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity concluded on June 20, 2025, with the UAE securing an impressive 16 Lions—including 2 Gold, 3 Silver, and 11 Bronze—across multiple categories such as Sustainable Development Goals Lions, Brand Experience & Activation, Film, Digital Craft, PR, Creative Strategy, and Creative Data. This performance demonstrates the continued strength of UAE agencies on the global creative stage.
FP7 McCann Dubai led the UAE’s performance with 7 Lions across diverse categories, while Impact BBDO Dubai secured 4 Lions and won Agency of the Year in MENA for the seventh consecutive time. Impact BBDO’s collaboration with ADPRO& and OMD, Amman also earned a Silver Lion in Print and Publishing—Jordan’s first Cannes Lions win. VML Dubai contributed 4 Lions for the UAE and partnered with VML New York to earn an additional Bronze Lion for the USA in the Creative Commerce category. LEO Dubai rounded out the performance with a Bronze Lion in Print & Publishing.
Talking about the conclusion of yet another successful year, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS said “This week we’ve taken our industry on an exhilarating journey of the very best creative work. Huge congratulations to each and every brilliant winner and shortlist for the phenomenal recognition bestowed by peers. This is a time for immense pride as we celebrate the transformative power of breakthrough ideas that challenge conventions, solve problems and create meaningful connections.”
The festival also saw UAE participation in development programs. Maria Salameh and Mayjane Najjar from Zenith Media represented the UAE at the Media Category Young Lions, while Francesco Negri and Diego Fernández from FP7 McCann participated in the Digital category. Asmaa Nowbandi from American University in Dubai represented the UAE at the Roger Hatchuel Academy.
As the official representatives of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the UAE, Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan congratulate all winning agencies, jury members, and young representatives who represented the UAE at this year’s festival.
The results reflect the continued development of UAE agencies in producing work that performs well on the international stage. We look forward to supporting our creative community as they prepare for Cannes Lions 2026.
Source: Lions – The Work
The UAE jury members will collaborate closely with awarding jurors from 54 markets to recognize and honor outstanding work from around the world at this year’s festival
Cannes Lions has unveiled the cohort of global experts selected to award the world’s finest creative and effective work, setting the standard for excellence this June at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Among the distinguished jury members announced, this year will feature thirteen representatives from the United Arab Emirates.
The 71st edition of Cannes Lions will witness Leo Burnett’s Kalpesh Patankar serving as the first Jury President for Industry Craft Lions from the MENA region, marking the second consecutive jury representation in two years.
Commenting on the Jury, Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said: “We’re delighted to have a balance and breadth of expertise and global representation across our Juries. The Awarding Juries represent the global industry’s leading talent from a diverse range of disciplines, and we welcome the unique perspectives they bring. We thank them for their time, dedication, and care in setting the global creative benchmark for our industry.”
Regarding the Cannes Lions jury panel from the UAE, Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, said, “We are excited to see the continuous increase in the UAE’s footprint at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Kalpesh Patankar’s appointment as the second consecutive jury president in two years serves as a clear indication of the creative industry’s development here, steered by a diverse and talented group of experts. This reflects the UAE’s steadfast dedication to upholding standards of excellence and innovation in advertising, marketing, and communications. With a further twelve talented jury members, each bringing their own unique perspectives to the judging process, this is a great representation of our region at the international level.”
The 2024 Awarding Jury Members from the UAE have been named as:
Brand Experience & Activation:
Nayaab Rais, Senior Creative Director, FP7 McCann Dubai
Creative Commerce:
Sebastien Boutebel, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi ME
Creative Effectiveness:
Islam Eldessouky, Global VP, Creative & Strategy, Coca-Cola TM
Digital Craft:
Stacy Andersen, Head of Digital Transformation & Innovation, Merkle MENAT
Direct:
Saymon Medeiros, Creative Director, and us
Entertainment Lions For Music:
Pierre Carnet, Managing Director, MENA, MassiveMusic
Film:
Camila Venegas Gomez, Associate Creative Director, M&C Saatchi
Industry Craft (Jury President):
Kalpesh Patankar, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett
Media
Elda Choucair, Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Media Group (MENA)
Pharma
Darius LaBelle, President, BPG Group
PR
Marie Claire Maalouf, Chief Creative Officer, Edelman
Radio & Audio
Federico Fanti, Chief Creative Officer, FP7 McCann Dubai
Titanium
Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer, Impact BBDO
With shortlisting jury line-up alongside the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions Jury to be announced soon, see the full list of Global Presidents and Awarding Juries here.
Further information on this year’s Festival and the Lions Awards can be found at visit www.canneslions.com
Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan are the official representatives of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the UAE.
Source: Cannes Lions
