Gateley Middle East has advised digital marketing agency Chain Reaction on its sale to Publicis Groupe Middle East (Publicis), a regional leader in marketing, communication and digital business transformation.
Chain Reaction is one of the Middle East’s leading digital marketing agencies, with a team of over 190 professionals across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. Publicis Groupe Middle East, which is headquartered in Dubai, operates in eight markets across MENA, providing end-to-end solutions that enable businesses to transform.
This acquisition strengthens Publicis’ footprint in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, integrating Chain Reaction’s creative, media, and technology capabilities to better serve its clients, enhancing both the efficiency and diversity of its service offering.
This transaction was one of the first to apply for clearance under the UAE’s newly implemented merger control thresholds, introduced in March 2025. The deal required pre-transaction notification to the UAE Ministry of Economy under the new turnover-based test, marking a significant milestone in the region’s evolving competition law landscape.
Gateley Middle East’s team was led by Dubai managing partner and head of corporate, Darren Harris and legal director Gemma Kotak Spence, supported by legal director Amun Bashir and associate Joe Girgis.
Darren Harris commented: “This acquisition highlights the growing significance of digital marketing and communications expertise within the Middle East. We are proud to have supported Chain Reaction on a transaction that strengthens their future in the region. Being one of the first deals to navigate the country’s new merger control thresholds adds to the significance of the deal. It reflects our team’s ability to guide clients through evolving regulatory frameworks with confidence and clarity and adds another successful deal in the digital marketing and creative space.”