Ethical, transparent and respected, the awards are judged by esteemed industry experts who follow a robust two-step judging process that includes pre-scoring to establish a shortlist and judge discussion to determine winners and in some cases silver awards.
None of our award judges can take part in the competition and any conflicts of interest must be declared.
The MENA Search Awards have been accredited ‘Outstanding’ by the Independent Awards Standards Council – Awards Trust Mark.
To apply to become a judge, fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
Adam Guerguis | Director of Product Development | Paystone
Based in Montreal, Adam has more than 10 years in search marketing and growth hacking experience. His latest job was Head of Operations for airbnb organic growth. He also has been working with very exciting brands in several industries, languages, and sizes like Yahoo!, MSN, Groupon, UNHCR, Skrill, Paysafe card, and others. Adam is also a digital marketing trainer, guest speaker, mentor, digital marketing blogger since 2010, and a MSc. Marketing Candidate. In his free time, Adam likes coding and reading about marketing,
Rejoice Ojiaku | Freelance SEO Specialist & Content Strategist |
Rejoice Ojiaku is an SEO Specialist & Content Strategist, as well as the Co-Founder of B-DigitalUK – a platform for showcasing and empowering black talent in the UK digital marketing scene. Her expertise lies in SEO, Diversity and inclusion, all bolstered by strong personal branding both online and offline.
Abdul Alhadithi | Director of Digital | MZ SKIN
Abdu has 14+ years of experience in eCommerce Marketing & Digital Transformation, helping brands build and grow their global DTC & e-Tail propositions across FMCG, Beauty, Consumer Electronics & Travel. Abdu is passionate about people and supporting great causes, and led a charity initiative, raising £350k for orphans worldwide.
Anju Anil | Head - Digital Marketing, eCommerce, and Loyalty | Bhima Middle East
Based in Dubai, Anju is a recognized leader in the digital marketing space, with a robust background that spans multiple facets of digital channels. She has developed expertise in key areas such as SEO, PPC, Content Marketing, Digital Performance Analytics, CRO, UX, and more. Anju’s strategic approach and deep knowledge have earned her a seat on the judging panel of prestigious industry awards, where she offers valuable insights into the latest trends and strategies. Her unique blend of technical fluency and marketing acumen makes her an influential figure and voice in the industry.
Ash Nallawalla | SEO consultant |
Ash Nallawalla is an Australian SEO consultant and the author of three SEO books (the first, "Accidental SEO Manager," is in its Second Edition). He has worked for major household brands and multinational, multilingual websites. He specialised in Finance, ecommerce, banking, and High-tech industries. He is a regular conference speaker and podcast guest. He is the Local Search forum moderator on Webmasterworld.
Bill Hunt | President | Back Azimuth Consulting
Bill is the President of Back Azimuth Consulting, which focuses on helping companies improve their Global Digital Marketing Strategies. Bill has extensive experience in multiple verticals uncovering missed opportunities and accelerating growth by implementing strategic centers of excellence maximize ecommerce programs at multinational corporations. Bill is the co-author of the best selling book "Search Engine Marketing, Inc." Driving Traffic to Your Companies Web Site from IBM Pres. This book has been adapted into the best practice guide for many global companies.
Daniel Saunders | Head of Performance Marketing | Evergreen Finance London
For nearly two decades, I've thrived in the dynamic world of digital marketing, fuelled by an unwavering passion for data-driven strategies. My expertise lies in leveraging data insights to unlock new business opportunities and propel success. My approach is anchored in a deep understanding of different markets and competitors. This data-centric foundation allows me to identify trends, anticipate challenges, and establish a competitive edge. I actively collaborate with directors and heads of service, translating business goals into actionable plans informed by data-driven insights.
Dateme Tamuno | Head of Digital Marketing | SemanticGeek
Dateme is a digital marketer with experience running organic and paid search campaigns for companies across several verticals. Currently, he is the head of digital marketing for a student accommodation agency in London. A regular speaker at BrightonSEO and often challenging search marketers to create a deeper understanding of the user intent that transcends the informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional classifications. He has completed ten marathons and has a goal of running 50 before he turns 50.
Davina Lines | Managing Director | Mixing Digital
Davina Lines is Managing Director of Mixing Digital and the Ecommerce Club. She brings a wealth of knowledge and a big black book of digital contacts to ensure Mixing Digital’s event management services are of the highest standard. Davina co-founded Netimperative in 1999 and became Managing Director in 2002, stewarding the brand into new product launches and creating one of the most successful events programmes in the digital marketing industry. In the mid 90s Davina cut her digital teeth on New Media Age (now Econsultancy), forming part of the founding team and was responsible for the commercial development of the magazine and its early events from launch in May 1995 to 1999. In recent years Davina launched an ecommerce peer-to-peer community, the Ecommerce Club, which runs regular events in London and Manchester on topics relevant to the retail community.
Dawn Anderson | FOUNDER | BERTEY
Dawn Anderson lectures on search and digital marketing strategy at Manchester Metropolitan University, is an international conference speaker (UK, US, AUS, IT), a trainer, and runs a digital marketing and international SEO consultancy agency, Bertey based in Manchester, UK. Dawn has spoken at some of the leading UK and global search marketing conferences, including Pubcon (Las Vegas and Florida), SASCON (Manchester, UK), European Search Conference (Liverpool, UK), Search Leeds (Leeds, UK), Brighton SEO (Brighton, UK), SMX London (London, UK), SMX East (San Jose, US), Ungagged London (London, UK), Ungagged Las Vegas (Las Vegas, US), MozCon (Seattle, US) and State of Search (Dallas, US). Dawn has also spoken at conference across Europe and as far afield as Australia. Dawn has been in digital marketing and SEO for 12+ years and works with leading brands providing digital marketing and SEO strategy and consultancy across a number of sectors. She is a Northern Digital, UK, EU and US Search Awards Judge. Dawn also contributes to leading search marketing industry publications such as Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal, The SEMPost, State of Digital and Smart Insights. Dawn also supervises Masters dissertation students undertaking their MSc in digital marketing strategy at Manchester Metropolitan University and also lectures and undertakes workshops on search and marketing analytics teaching International Fashion Promotion students at Manchester Fashion Institute
Judith Lewis | Founder | DECABBIT CONSULTANCY | X Profile
Judith is a renowned international speaker, writer, trainer, blogger and digital media consultant specialising in applying strategic understanding of digital technologies to help businesses innovate and optimise their effectiveness within the new, networked communications environment. She is a regular speaker around the world on SEO, content strategy, link building, paid media, and digital strategy, and has been recognised by her peers as one of the most influential people in the UK digital industry. Judith judges the industry leading Search Awards around the world, and has every year since their inception. She has worked with market-leading global businesses including Google, NatWest/RBS, National Gallery, Fidelity, GalaCoral, NBC Universal, Readers Digest, Bayer, Family Search, Amadeus, AMD, AmEx , Virgin.com, Virgin Startup & more. She has over 23 years of experience, predating Google in her entry into the market, and now runs her own consultancy. She has worked both in-house and agency-side. Judith also blogs about chocolate, has contributed to the book “Pimp My Site” and the Econsultancy guide to Paid Search and rewrote the large foundational Econsultancy Best Practice Guide to SEO.
Dora Hrkac | Head of Marketing & Communications | Forbes Communications Council
Dora Hrkac is an official member of the Forbes Communications Council, an invitation-only community for senior-level PR, marketing, and communications professionals. With over 15 years of experience across tourism, hospitality, destination management, energy, tech, ESG, and luxury, Dora has led brand transformations, employer branding campaigns, and global thought leadership initiatives for leading companies — from Hilton to Esyasoft Holding (an IHC company), where she served as Global Head of Marketing & Communications across multiple continents and business verticals. She is a Gold Stevie® Award winner for Most Innovative Communications Professional in MENA 2023, and her work has been featured in over 100 publications worldwide. Dora actively engages a global LinkedIn network of 22,000+ professionals, including decision-makers and C-suite leaders. Her expertise spans brand strategy, employer branding, thought leadership, and stakeholder engagement. A passionate storyteller and creative powerhouse, Dora is known as a playful brand architect who blends strategic clarity with editorial flair.
Abdelaziz Mohammed | Executive Director of Marketing & Growth | D360 Bank | Linked In | X Profile
Abdelaziz has been into the eCommerce space for 15 years now. He was working at Amazon as regional head of digital Marketing. Before Amazon he was heading central performance marketing team at Souq (acquired by Amazon). He was responsible for planning and budgeting marketing spend for MENA regions in Souq.com. Marketing, Ecommerce and Customer Experience professional with a proven track record of successfully improving digital performance for major brands within a variety of sectors in MENA region, including Dubizzle (OLX group), Souq (Amazon Middle East), Najm, H&M, Mother care, Victoria Secrets, Bath and Body Works and Emaar. Extensive experience of managing ecommerce websites (inc. +$1B turnover), leading large digital teams and driving cost effective marketing programmes.
Hafis Ismail | International SEO Consultant | Hafis.net | X Profile | hafis.net
Hafis Ismail has been working in the digital industry for over 10 years, helping SMEs to multi-national corporations. Hafis always had the passion for search marketing and for bringing together other channels to ensure that companies take a holistic approach to their digital marketing. Having worked both in-house, as well as on the agency side, he has worked with very exciting brands in several industries, including Nivea, Dolbey, Keller Williams, Hertz, and Dermacol to name a few. He is currently advising Ecommerce companies with international organic growth strategies as an independent SEO consultant.
Hannah Kai | Head of Marketing and Partnerships | Ambl.
Head of Marketing & Partnerships at Ambl, a fast-growing hospitality tech platform revolutionising real-time bookings. She leads global marketing strategy and high-impact partnerships across the UK and Middle East, driving user growth, brand visibility and industry collaborations. With standout achievements in scaling tech products, building affiliate networks, and delivering data-driven campaigns, Hannah has established herself as a leader in connecting brands and audiences with measurable impact.
Mohammadreza Hasanpour | SEO Lead | Snapp
Mohammadreza began as a digital advertiser, transitioning to a digital marketer one year later. Now, he has over 7 years of SEO and digital marketing experience in organizations of all sizes and various industries, including the most competitive markets of insurance, health, finance, etc. He currently works as a senior SEO Lead at Snapp. Although he worked as an SEO freelancer for some time, he has been entirely devoted to in-house SEO for almost 4 years. His expertise lies in technical SEO and strategy. Lately, he has been practicing SEO automation and ML.
Janna Pugh | SEO Manager | Vintage King Audio
Janna Pugh is a SEO Manager with a history of agency and in-house work. She has recently been nationally recognized as the Industry Rising Star in Conductor's 2022 C2 Summit and regularly speaks with college classes about the essentials of organic marketing. With her passion for SEO, she knows firsthand how to make the smallest and largest websites succeed organically. Her areas of focus specialize in enterprise SEO, with scalability and automation for both small and large SEO teams. Her varied approach to SEO combines on-site content with off-site brand management. In her free time, she loves trying out new recipes and reading mystery novels.'
Lorenzo Solís | Senior Growth Marketing & SEO Manager | Eventbrite | Linked In | Lorenzo Solís
Lorenzo Solís is a digital growth leader with 15+ years of experience driving acquisition, engagement, and revenue growth for global brands. At Eventbrite, the world’s largest event marketplace, he leads the global growth marketing strategy. Before Eventbrite, Lorenzo led high-impact growth initiatives at Just Eat, Bwin, and EF Education First, scaling multi-channel strategies across Europe and the Americas in highly competitive industries. He also teaches digital marketing at business schools, focusing on data-driven growth and long-term business impact.
Mariam Abu Bakr | Senior Global SEO Manager | Philips (Versuni) | Linked In
Mariam Abubakr is an SEO expert with a global outlook and MENA roots, currently shaping search strategies worldwide as Sr. Global SEO Manager at Philips (Versuni) in Amsterdam. With over a decade of experience, she’s helped iconic brands like Jaguar Land Rover, General Electric, Bosch, Accor Hotels, and Virgin Megastore rise through the ranks across diverse industries. What drives Mariam isn’t just the thrill of results, but the genuine care she has for the brands she works with. She’s at her best when turning complex SEO challenges into clear, actionable paths that empower teams and unlock long-term growth. Her passion for the craft runs deep, and so does her commitment to spotlighting and uplifting the MENA search community she proudly came from.
Matthew Kohli | SEO Consultant |
Meriem Nacer | Founder | 4M Digital Consulting
Meriem Nacer is the founder of 4M Digital Consulting Ltd, where she applies 13+ years’ paid media agency experience to provide cutting-edge PPC, Display, YouTube, and Paid Social advertising strategies. A Google Ads and Microsoft Ads specialist, Meriem's expertise extends from strategic consultancy and audits to hands-on management and training for global brands and retailers. Her budget management skills are exemplary, having handled weekly budgets from £500 to £3M, amounting to over £150M annually. Meriem's work encompasses a diverse range of sectors, including retail, cosmetics, luxury, travel and finance, making her a versatile and sought-after digital marketing consultant. She is also a published author and certified PTLLS-accredited trainer, recognised for her contributions to digital marketing knowledge and education.
Michael Emiliani | Senior Marketing Director | Freight Right
Mike is a seasoned digital marketing expert with a decade of experience in PPC and digital media. His passion lies in developing and growing businesses through comprehensive, integrated digital media campaigns. His ability to draw on knowledge and experiences from a wide range of challenges from his time in-house, agency-side and as a consultant has given him a unique depth and breadth to solving complex problems in PPC and broadly digital marketing. Mike has shared insights as a contributing writer and speaker at events. His extensive knowledge has also earned her the distinction of being a featured subject matter expert at Endicott College in Massachusetts, a contributor to industry blogs and recipient of the 2018 Interactive Marketing Award.
Motoko Hunt is an International SEO/SEM professional. Since establishing AJPR in 1998, her extensive knowledge of Asia and Japanese markets proves to be highly valuable as her consulting services have made a significant impact on global marketing campaigns for some of the world’s most popular multinational brands. Besides being published in industry websites and printed media, Motoko is a frequent speaker at global search marketing conferences, giving seminars and training about topics on International SEO and SEM. Since 2020, she has been serving as a member of the Board of Directors at Paid Search Association.
Nicolas Monti-Potsolakis | International SEO Consultant |
Nicolas is an International SEO Consultant. He is a self made person and has worked as Events Manager, MarTech Specialist and jack-of-all-trades digital marketing specialist before naming SEO his true calling. He has been around SEO since 2009 and founded Black Lantern Marketing and NMP Consulting in 2018. He has worked with multiple Enterprises in the eCommerce, Fashion, Hospitality, Education, Insurance, and especially iGaming sectors. Nicolas has worked with Winner, 888, Fortuna, Casa Pariurilor, PSK, 96 Global, Vodafone and other great industry giants. He is also an SEO Instructor for Epsilon College and coaches Business Owners on SEO and how it brings value to their business. And he is co-founder of TAO Rodina, an import-export company of goods from Indonesia. He holds an MBA, an MSc in Digital Marketing and a BA in Marketing Management from the University of East London. He is originally half Greek, half Italian but lives in Prague with his family.
Patryk Wawok | Founder | Organic Hackers
Patryk is a Technical SEO and Content Specialist with over 6 years of experience and proven knowledge of technical SEO and content optimization. Patryk managed technical SEO and content projects for multiple Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 brands while working for world-renowned agencies. Patryk also trained in-house teams of Fortune 500 brands to improve their SEO practices in multiple workshops and performed as a speaker at SEO conferences such as the International Search Summit. Currently, Patryk is working as an independent SEO consultant working with mostly B2B e-commerce brands on their Technical SEO and content strategies. Personally, Patryk performs as an improv comedian and maniacally learns new cooking recipes every day.
Peter Nikolow | CEO | Mobilio
Rafay Qureshi | Director Digital Growth | Damac Group
Meet Rafay Qureshi, A Result-Oriented Online Marketeer and Trainer. Rafay has been into SEO, ASO & all things that come under the organic growth field. Having worked from Local Start ups to Start ups from Y combinator to AliBaba Group to Rocket Internet, Rafay currently Heads the Organic Growth Team at Seera Group. Always striving for Automations, Scalability & Product optimization, Rafay has worked on all sorts of products from e-commerce, B2B, FMCGs, SAAS & Financial Institutions. Rafay is an all-rounder organic growth geek in the e-commerce industry and when he’s not working, he’s playing video games.
Reyhaneh Jafari | | On-page SEO Specialist
Shadi K. Kandil | Regional Head of Free Search | Amazon | Linked In | X Profile
Shadi is a digital business development and search marketing expert with over a decade of experience in the online marketing sector. He is the Head of Free Search for the MENA region at Amazon and the Founder of Godayuse.com. His experience in digital opportunities and search marketing has allowed him to have a dynamic career and work across various industries including e-commerce, retail, publishing, music, hospitality and hardware. Shadi has honed his skills in optimizing online strategies that achieve exceptional results through his passion for innovation and dedication to continuously raising the bar. He also holds a Business Analytics certificate from Harvard Business School, and worked previously as a Regional SEO/ASO Manager at Majid All Futtaim Carrefour, Digital Brand Development Manager for Awakening Music and Country Webmaster for ASUS.
Shahrazed Vereycken | Head of Marketing | MAC Global - A Sony Music Company | Linked In
I’m an accomplished marketing leader currently working as Head of Marketing at MAC Global, a Sony Music Company. With over 8 years of experience, I bring deep expertise in digital strategy, SEO, performance marketing, and brand growth. I previously led marketing for Coca-Cola Arena, one of Dubai’s premier entertainment venues. My work spans the entertainment, hospitality, and retail sectors, where I’ve delivered high-impact CRM initiatives and executed successful multi-platform campaigns. Fluent in English and French, I combine creativity with data-driven execution across global markets.
Simon To | Digital Director & Consultant | Website3.com
Simon To is the Digital Director & Consultant at Website3.com, Simon goes above and beyond delivering performance marketing solutions for clients. Simon has over 12+ years of practical experience and 200+ clients under his belt. Website3.com is a new generation of digital media & marketing, supporting clients with the new wave of generative AI in marketing and automation. Website3 provides hands on digital consultancy for all your marketing needs. Website3 Paid Media Services include: Google . PPC . Shopping . Search . Bing . Social Media . Facebook . Instagram . YouTube . CTV . Display . Programmatic . Native . Analytics . Strategy . Planning . Delivery
Tarek El Sarw | Senior Manager | Precision and Digital Marketing - Al Futtaim Automotive
He recently joined AlFuttaim Electric Mobility as a senior precision and digital marketing manager for EV brands (Polestar & BYD). With 3 years of experience in the automotive industry, and over 6 years in Digital marketing field, he has a proven track record of delivering successful marketing campaigns and driving growth. In his previous role at NISSAN Motor Corporation, Tarek was part of MarComms and CE, and was responsible for enhancing digital media buying and performance efficiencies on Egypt scope, then was appointed as precision marketing leader for Africa Regional Business Unit to support the digital excellence framework. Before joining Nissan, he worked as the Senior Media/Performance Executive at Wavemaker, where he supported acquiring new businesses and maintained exceptional digital trading rates with local/regional vendors. He also developed and executed successful digital marketing campaigns for various clients at B-Mark Digital Agency and NEON.Co Marketing Agency
William Harvey | Global SEO Lead | Iron Mountain LLC
William Harvey is a highly respected leader in organic search, with over 20 years of experience shaping cutting-edge digital strategies. His extensive background spanning senior consulting roles, entrepreneurial ventures, and global corporate leadership, gives him a unique and well-rounded perspective ideal for judging the industry’s most innovative and effective work. As the Global Head of Organic Marketing for Iron Mountain, William leads strategy across 61 countries, serving a customer base that includes approximately 95% of the Fortune 1000. He focuses on driving performance through AI-powered optimisation, automation, and a culture of continuous improvement. His deep technical expertise allows him to critically evaluate the sophisticated execution required for award-winning SEO, while his focus on innovation ensures he can identify campaigns that are truly pushing the industry forward. This corporate expertise is complemented by his background as a senior consultant and co-founder of RichWeb Media, a bespoke consultancy that has partnered with some of the world’s largest brands, media agencies, and VC firms. In this role, he specialised in troubleshooting and realigning strategies for international teams in complex global markets, balancing local priorities with unified business goals. This deep, hands-on experience in strategic problem-solving, combined with his commitment to advancing the industry through thought leadership, underpins his passion for recognising and celebrating true excellence and ingenuity in the field.
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"We would like to acknowledge the MENA Search Awards community, thank them for their support, and express that we are ecstatic to have become a part of this amazing family." Kriko
"The encouragement of the MENA Search Awards to urge people and companies to share and reproduce sectoral information and to visualize our success has been one of our biggest sources of motivation in this process." Kriko
"Being validated by the likes of MENA Search Awards and amongst such stiff well-accomplished competitors is something that’s made us incredibly proud, bonded our team further and has been exceptionally well received by our customers."Mickey Llew
"The MENA Search Awards stand out for their commitment to transparency, fairness, and timely communication. Participating in these awards was a valuable and enriching experience for us at Markethinkers Agency. The clear guidelines, prompt responses to queries, and the unbiased approach to awarding excellence set a high standard for industry awards It also helped us to increase our recognition in the region and find new prospects accordingly."Çağatay Yazıcı, Global SEO Director Markethinkers
"The APAC Search Awards are not only about recognition for great work but also about pushing ourselves to constantly improve and deliver outstanding results for our clients. By highlighting those who are doing extraordinary things in the digital space, these awards lift up the entire industry."Emily Bencsics, Marketing & Digital Specialist MEGANTIC
As we look to the future, our mission remains steadfast: to empower brands through innovative digital marketing solutions that deliver real results. The recognition at the MENA Search Awards 2024 fuels our determination to continue redefining what’s possible in the world of performance marketing. Home of Performance
The MENA Search Awards celebrate excellence in search marketing, focusing on creativity, implementation, and measurable results—qualities that align perfectly with our approach to every campaign. For a new agency on the rise, these nominations signify a major milestone, highlighting our strategic and creative approach to digital marketing. Being recognised in such a competitive space affirms that our methods are not only effective but also innovative and industry-leading. créo Global
