Marketing Director Recruitment UAE

Senior search for the marketing directors who run regional brands, not just local campaigns, from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

A marketing director job in Dubai is rarely a Dubai job. It usually means running marketing for a whole region, across a dozen markets and as many cultures, from one desk.

That is the reality Hanson Search hires for. Through our Hanson Brand practice, we place the marketing directors who lead across the Gulf and the wider MEA region, with our Dubai team close to the market.

Most global brands run their regional marketing out of the UAE. We have spent years placing the people who carry that brief, so we know who can handle the scope and who only looks the part on paper.

The Marketing Director Roles We Recruit in the UAE

Titles vary by company, but the level is consistent. We place Marketing Directors, Regional Marketing Directors, Heads of Marketing and Group Marketing Directors across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Below them, we recruit the brand, growth, digital and performance leads who make up a modern marketing team.

What unites every brief is scope. The director has to own the strategy, lead a spread-out team and answer for the numbers across more than one market.

What Makes Hiring a Marketing Director in the UAE Difficult

The hard part is not finding marketers. It is finding ones who can lead at regional scale here.

Dubai is the marketing capital of the region. Unilever, P&G, Mars and most major consumer brands run their MEA marketing from the Emirates, so demand for senior leaders stays high.

The job needs a rare mix. A director must localise global brand frameworks for Arabic and English audiences. They also manage teams across very different markets while still delivering growth.

Leaders who have done all three are scarce. A strong CMO from London or New York does not always transfer cleanly without real regional grounding.

Why Businesses Choose Hanson Search for Marketing Director Recruitment UAE

Amanda Dowie’s MENA team is based in the region, not flying in for the brief. That matters when regional fluency is the whole point of the hire.

We keep shortlists short and honest. Each candidate is judged on what they have built across multiple markets, how they lead a spread-out team and whether they fit your culture, rather than their last job title.

We are a certified B Corp, and we build diverse shortlists and support Emiratisation on every search as a matter of course.

Hire a Marketing Director in the UAE

If you are appointing a marketing director or regional marketing lead in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or across the Gulf, Amanda and the MENA team can help. Get in touch for a confidential conversation.