Dubai Lynx, in collaboration with Middle East Communications Network (MCN) and its agencies, is bringing its globally recognized See It Be It initiative to the MENA region, aiming to accelerate women into leadership roles across the creative, media, and marketing industries.

Titled See It Be It: Connects – MENA, the program will take place on October 7, 2026, during Dubai Lynx Creativity Week.

Originally developed as part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, See It Be It was launched in 2014 with a clear mission to achieve equal gender representation in creative leadership. Since then, it has grown into a global community of more than 150 creatives. Internal data shows that 75% of participants are promoted within 12 months, while 63% progress to creative director roles or above.

The MENA edition is designed around three core pillars: confidence, resilience and adaptability, and negotiation, and aims to build a stronger regional community of future female leaders. The program will bring together leading voices from across the industry to foster meaningful connections, practical learning, and long-term career momentum, while opening doors to opportunities across markets and generations.

The initiative is being delivered in collaboration with key partners, including Unilever, Nestlé, Snap Inc., Emirates, and the Advertising Business Group, as well as a broader network of industry peers and platforms. Through this effort, MCN and its agencies are convening a cross-industry community of multinational brands, platforms, and leaders to help shape a more connected, representative, and future-ready creative ecosystem across MENA.

The agenda will feature a curated series of conversations exploring the realities of leadership in today’s creative industries, including ambition, confidence, burnout, resilience, negotiation, and career progression. Bringing together alumni, senior leaders, brand partners, and cross-generational voices, the sessions will examine how definitions of success, power, and identity are evolving across workplaces and markets. Discussions will also focus on cultural intelligence as a leadership strength, what inclusive leadership looks like in practice, and how allyship can move from intent to action.

Lizzie Dewhurst, Chief Communications Officer, MCN – part of Omnicom, said: “Across MCN and our family agencies, diversity, equity and inclusion are central to how we grow our business and that of our clients. See It Be It Connects: MENA is critical to accelerating more women into leadership roles and nurturing their progression. By investing in high-potential talent today, we are helping shape a more representative, resilient and future-ready creative industry for the region.”

Kamille Marchant, Director, Dubai Lynx, added: “Dubai Lynx exists to champion creative excellence across MENA, and that excellence must be representative of the industry it serves. With research from Creative Equals showing that fewer than 30% of Creative Directors are women, regional touchpoints like See It Be It Connects: MENA are important for driving real change. This initiative is about elevating women shaping the industry and strengthening the creative ecosystem as a whole.”