R/GA, the independent agency known for digital product and brand work, has formally established a business in Abu Dhabi. Communicate and Arabian Reseller reported the announcement on 23 September 2026. Bertrand Morin leads the operation as executive director for the Middle East and North Africa, and the Abu Dhabi hub will serve clients across the region.
What was announced
- The operation is officially active, with plans to move into a dedicated office later in 2026.
- Senior hires in creative and delivery are under way, with further expansion planned from 2027.
- Named clients include G42, Wio Bank, National Bank of Kuwait, Banque Saudi Fransi, Emirates NBD and Bank Al Etihad.
- Campaign Middle East noted R/GA's work on a generative interface for G42, its purchase of the AI design studio Addition and a 50 million dollar innovation fund.
R/GA's global chief executive, Robin Forbes, said the agency chose to invest in Abu Dhabi because of the sovereign ambition and the AI infrastructure being built there. Morin called R/GA the region's newest oldest player, a nod to the agency's long history with clients in the Gulf. No staff numbers or office address were given.
Not the only one
R/GA's move follows a steady flow of agencies setting up in the capital, as reported by Campaign Middle East:
- W Communications opened a GCC headquarters in Abu Dhabi in September 2025, bringing together several of its regional businesses.
- North Seventy Five, a communications agency launched in November 2025, expanded to Abu Dhabi in June 2026.
- Big Group opened offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in March 2025.
- Earlier, Instinctif Partners opened in Abu Dhabi in November 2024, and Edelman moved its regional headquarters to Yas Creative Hub in 2022.
Why Abu Dhabi
Three things keep coming up. The first is clients: government entities, sovereign-backed companies and AI and technology groups headquartered in the capital buy a great deal of brand, product and communications work, and many prefer partners close by. The second is investment in the creative sector: in 2021 Abu Dhabi committed more than 30 billion dirhams to culture and creative industries over ten years, run by the Department of Culture and Tourism. The third is production incentives: the Abu Dhabi Film Commission raised its cashback for qualifying film and television productions to a rate starting at 35 percent for projects applying from January 2025.
What it means for agencies
- Expect more competition for capital-based accounts. Networks and well-funded independents setting up locally raise the bar for agencies that serve Abu Dhabi clients from Dubai.
- AI capability is now a pitch requirement. R/GA led with AI infrastructure clients and its own AI tools; technology and government clients will ask every agency what it can build, not only what it can make.
- Presence matters. A desk, a licence or a partner in Abu Dhabi can be the difference on government and semi-government work.
- Senior talent will move. New offices hiring senior creative and delivery staff will draw from existing agencies in the UAE, so retention plans matter.
- Production incentives are real money. For clients with film or television ambitions, the rebate can change the economics of shooting in Abu Dhabi.
Wiro is built for agencies running teams and clients across more than one emirate, with projects, approvals and finance in one place.
