Transform proudly announces MEA 2026 winners
Returning to the Middle East and Africa region for a 13th year, the Transform Awards MEA is delighted to reveal its list of winners once again. As always, Transform’s winners reflect the transformative power of brand strategy and design and the awards recognise best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work.
Along with being awarded a remarkable two Golds and one Bronze, Saudia Airlines and Landor capped off a fantastic evening by being awarded the prestigious ‘Grand prix’. The project for ‘The Coolest Ihram’ blew judges away, who praised the “awesome creative idea,” making it the star of the show.
It was also an excellent night for The Wilds, Aldar Properties and M+C Saatchi Group Middle East, which won the ‘Best Overall Visual Identity’ as well as Golds in ‘Best Strategic or Creative Development of a New Brand’ and ‘Best Visual Identity from the Retail, Property, and Construction Sector.’
Transform magazine’s editor, Jack Cousins, says, “It might have been delayed due to the geopolitical climate, but we’re confident tonight was worth the wait. After all, we weren’t going to miss out on celebrating the transformative power of rebranding and brand development in Dubai, which always delivers some of the very best projects on the planet.
“Keeping to that theme of excellence, it would be remiss of me not to offer my congratulations to our big winner this year. Saudia Airlines and Landor provided a truly outstanding design solution that helped many pilgrims travelling to Mecca for Hajj. The Coolest Ihram was a phenomenon that reached more than 200 million online impressions, making it a deserving winner of the ‘Grand Prix.’ I know it was a popular project amongst judges, who I would like to thank for once again making the Transform Awards possible with their insight and dedication.”
The full list of winners is as follows:
CONTENT
Best Use of a Visual Property (Business and Corporate)
Gold – Saudi Tourism Authority and TQ Branding
Silver – IMI Media and Wiedemann Lampe
Bronze – Etihad Water and Electricity (EtihadWE)
Bronze – Mubadala and Bellwether Brands
Best Use of a Visual Property (Consumer)
Gold – Faena Residences and BRASH
Gold – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Silver – Fahid Island, Aldar Properties and M+C Saatchi Group Middle East
Bronze – Asaan and Landor
Best Brand Architecture Solution
Gold – du and Landor
Silver – TAIBA and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Beyon
Bronze – Misk Foundation and Zan Agency
Best Use of Copy Style or Tone of Voice
Gold – .Here and All About Brands
Gold – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Silver – Falcon and Landor
Bronze – Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority
Best Brand Experience
Gold – KSA Ministry of Culture and Interstate
Gold – La Marzocco and House of Negroni
Silver – Saudi Tourism Authority and TQ Branding
Silver – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Qiddiya and BRASH
Best Use of Packaging
Gold – Qadeem Fragrance and REBRDG Branding Agency
Silver – Emirates Snack Foods: Feli’s Kitchen – Feli’s Fruitz and Jpd
Silver – Nestlé – Tola and Karak
Bronze – Americana Foods and Dragon Rouge Branding (Shanghai)
Bronze – RAINBOW and Mr.Studio
Best Wayfinding or Signage
Gold – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Silver – Makarem and Brand Lounge
Best Use of Typography
Gold – King Salman International Airport (KSIA) and TQ Branding
Gold – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Silver – Mics and Gene Branding
Silver – TAIBA and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Villa Hegra and Wiedemann Lampe
Best Audio Brand (Business and Corporate)
Gold – Emirates NBD and amp
Gold – Islamic Arts Biennale, Diriyah Biennale Foundation with .Pomelo and WithFeeling
Silver – Qatar National Bank and Sixième Son
Bronze – Alinma and amp
Best Audio Brand (Consumer)
Gold – CEER and Sonicbrand
Silver – Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia with Focus WPI and WithFeeling
Bronze – Makarem and Sonicbrand
Bronze – PetCentral and WithFeeling
Best Place Brand
Gold – King Salman International Airport (KSIA) and TQ Branding
Silver – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Fahid Island, Aldar Properties and M+C Saatchi Group Middle East
Best Expression of a Brand on Social Media Channels
Gold – Mics and Gene Branding
Silver – Thoub Saghiri and Blue Hat
PROCESS
Best Implementation of a Brand Development Project
Gold – Makarem and Brand Lounge
Silver – Ominvest – Veltra and Bellwether Brands
Bronze – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Best Localization of an International Brand
Gold – Yammak and Gene Branding
Silver – AXIAN Telecom – Yas and Landor
STRATEGY
Best Creative Strategy (Business)
Gold – Protouch and Umbrella
Silver – Mubadala and Bellwether Brands
Best Creative Strategy (Consumer)
Gold – Saudia Airlines and Landor
Silver – Nestlé – Tola and Karak
Silver – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Bronze – La Marzocco and House of Negroni
Bronze – National Biscuit and OHI Leo Burnett
Best Creative Strategy (Corporate)
Gold – TAIBA and Brand Lounge
Silver – Alinma and Landor
Bronze – IMI Media and Wiedemann Lampe
Bronze – Ominvest – Veltra and Bellwether Brands
Best Brand Evolution (Business and Corporate)
Gold – e& and Wiedemann Lampe
Gold – NHC with Lippincott
Silver – Alinma and Landor
Bronze – Beyon
Bronze – Inception and The Frameworks
Best Brand Evolution (Consumer)
Gold – Nestlé – Tola and Karak
Gold – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Silver – Makarem and Brand Lounge
Silver – Soum and Gene Branding
Bronze – Al Jimi Mall and Balcony8
Bronze – Bahrain Rugby Club and Interstate
Best Strategic or Creative Development of a New Brand
Gold – BEEAH and Landor
Gold – The Wilds, Aldar Properties and M+C Saatchi Group Middle East
Silver – KORO and BRASH
Bronze – Kafu and Bellwether Brands
Bronze – Ominvest – Veltra and Bellwether Brands
Best Development of a New Brand Within an Existing Brand Portfolio
Gold – .Here and All About Brands
Gold – Mubadala and Bellwether Brands
Silver – Emirates Snack Foods: Feli’s Kitchen – Feli’s Fruitz and Jpd
Bronze – ENACT and All About Brands
Bronze – Rawa and Zan Agency
Best Naming Strategy (New Name)
Gold – ONGETEM and Balcony8
Gold – Saudia Airlines and Landor
Silver – Asaan and Landor
Bronze – .Here and All About Brands
Bronze – Lemonade and Yellow
Best Naming Strategy (Rename)
Gold – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Silver – Yammak and Gene Branding
Bronze – LOTF and Zan Agency
Best Naming Strategy (Naming System)
Gold – e& and Wiedemann Lampe
Gold – ONGETEM and Balcony8
Silver – EMSTEEL – TrueGreen and Bellwether Brands
TYPE
Best Corporate Rebrand Following a Merger or Acquisition
Gold – TAIBA and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Falcon and Landor
Best Brand Development Project to Reflect a Change of Mission, Values or Positioning (Business and Corporate)
Gold – Kitopi and Freedom Studio
Bronze – Insight Studios and By Driven
Best Brand Development Project to Reflect a Change of Mission, Values or Positioning (Consumer)
Gold – Makarem and Brand Lounge
Silver – Kitopi and Freedom Studio
Silver – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Hemingways Collection and Greenspace
Best Brand Consolidation
Gold – AXIAN Telecom – Yas and Landor
Silver – IMI Media and Wiedemann Lampe
Best Digital Transformation
Gold – Virtuzone and Yellow
Bronze – Kafu and Bellwether Brands
Best Employer Brand
Gold – Makarem and Brand Lounge
Silver – TAIBA and Brand Lounge
SECTOR
Best Visual Identity by a Charity, NGO or Not-For-Profit
Gold – Graphic Design Association (Graphicyoon) and Gene Branding
Best Visual Identity from the Education Sector
Gold – Asaan and Landor
Silver – Villa Hegra and Wiedemann Lampe
Best Visual Identity from the Energy and Utilities Sector
Gold – Miahona and Boxon
Silver – ENEC and All About Brands
Best Visual Identity from the Financial Services Sector
Gold – Alinma and Landor
Silver – ISA Commodities and Jpd
Bronze – Kafu and Bellwether Brands
Best Visual Identity from the FMCG Sector
Gold – National Biscuit and OHI Leo Burnett
Silver – Americana Foods and Dragon Rouge Branding (Shanghai)
Best Visual Identity from the Food and Beverage Sector
Gold – ONGETEM and Balcony8
Silver – INÁ and Balcony8
Silver – La Marzocco and House of Negroni
Bronze – Kitopi and Freedom Studio
Best Visual Identity from the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Sector
Gold – Mubadala and Bellwether Brands
Silver – NhaFarma and Identidadi
Best Visual Identity from the Hospitality Sector
Gold – TAIBA and Brand Lounge
Silver – Makarem and Brand Lounge
Best Visual Identity from the Lifestyle and Wellbeing Sector
Gold – Fahid Island, Aldar Properties and M+C Saatchi Group Middle East
Silver – Qadeem Fragrance and REBRDG Branding Agency
Bronze – BEEAH and Landor
Best Visual Identity from the Professional Services Sector
Gold – Virtuzone and Yellow
Silver – Kingsbury & Partners and Jpd
Silver – Ominvest – Veltra and Bellwether Brands
Best Visual Identity from the Public Sector
Gold – Made. Design Forum By Solid Design Studio
Silver – Diplomatic Quarter Hoarding and Zan Agency
Bronze – Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority
Best Visual Identity from the Retail, Property, and Construction Sector
Gold – The Wilds, Aldar Properties and M+C Saatchi Group Middle East
Silver – Al Jimi Mall and Balcony8
Silver – Numa Reserve and Yellow
Bronze – Maison Margiela and BRASH
Best Visual Identity from the Sports and Leisure Sector
Gold – Super Duper Studio and Yellow
Silver – Women’s Championship – Sports for All, Ministry of Sport and Zan Agency
Bronze – Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 and All About Brands
Best Visual Identity from a Startup
Silver – Proclean and Epic Lion
Best Visual Identity from the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Sector
Gold – AXIAN Telecom – Yas and Landor
Gold – Mics and Gene Branding
Silver – Doğuş Teknoloji and Monroe
Silver – Saudi Tourism Authority and TQ Branding
Best Visual Identity from the Transport and Logistics Sector
Gold – King Salman International Airport (KSIA) and TQ Branding
Silver – Falcon and Landor
Best Visual Identity from the Travel and Tourism Sector
Gold – Saudi Tourism Authority and TQ Branding
Silver – Hemingways Collection and Greenspace
Bronze – Saudia Airlines and Landor
Bronze – Vallé Advenature™ Park and Brand Lounge
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Brand Strategist of the Year
Winner– Rohit Banka – Accenture Song
Young Contender of the Year
Winner – Gunjan Mathur – Yellow Branding & Digital Consultancy
GRAND ACCOLADES
Best Overall Visual Identity
Winner – The Wilds, Aldar Properties and M+C Saatchi Group Middle East
Grand Prix
Winner – Saudia Airlines and Landor
