FreeWheel Appointed Regional Lead to Expand MENA Operations
The ad tech firm tapped a veteran leader to help local broadcasters upgrade their video advertising stacks.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Advertising
Live Poll
Do you believe advanced advertising technology helps local media companies better serve your community?
FreeWheel has appointed Hamid Davari as its Commercial Director for the MENA region to spearhead a strategic expansion of its ad technology services. The move targets regional media companies looking to modernize their platforms to meet rising demand for connected TV (CTV) advertising.
Why it matters
The expansion reflects a shift in regional media demand toward advanced CTV capabilities, prompting publishers to upgrade their tech stacks to compete globally. Businesses in the region now have a path to integrate international media inventory into their local advertising workflows.
FreeWheel brings a platform utilized by 80 percent of broadcasters and platforms in North America and Europe to the MENA market. The new director, Hamid Davari, joins with over 20 years of industry experience to lead these regional operations.
The players
FreeWheel
A Comcast subsidiary providing ad tech for video advertising inventory and management.
Hamid Davari
The new Commercial Director for MENA with 20 years of experience in television and streaming.
The details
FreeWheel provides a technology suite that supports both buy-side and sell-side video advertising. By deploying this infrastructure, regional publishers can centralize planning, audience targeting, and reporting. Additionally, the platform enables local agencies to connect their inventory with international media buyers, effectively bridging regional audiences with broader advertising markets.
Timeline
October 6, 2026: The company announced the appointment of Hamid Davari.
Market Landscape
This move follows an established industry trend where major ad tech providers localize their infrastructure to capture emerging CTV markets, as documented by the IAB MENA CTV Taskforce. It marks a push to align regional media standards with the sophisticated targeting capabilities found in mature markets.
Operators in the MENA media space should evaluate their current video advertising stack against the new capabilities provided by international platforms. Agencies should also consider whether their current planning and reporting tools can effectively integrate with incoming global ad inventory.
The takeaway
The entry of major infrastructure players into a region often signals that the market is reaching a scale where standardized ad tech is no longer optional. Media managers should track the adoption rates of these tools by regional competitors to ensure their own inventory remains attractive to global buyers.
Further reading
For more on the latest shifts in regional media strategy, visit our Advertising section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Campaign Middle East.
Live Poll
Do you believe advanced advertising technology helps local media companies better serve your community?
