W Ventures Holding Chairman Habib Wehbi featured in Forbes Middle East’s Top CEOs 2023
By Forbes Middle East
Habib Wehbi, Chairman of W Ventures Holding, is continuing in his mission to revolutionize out-of-home media experiences while expanding the group’s portfolio through its three investment arms.
On Dubai’s bustling business landscape, Habib Wehbi emerged as an entrepreneur in 1996, introducing trolley advertising in local supermarkets. Since then, his journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Today, he stands as chairman at the helm of W Ventures Holding, a conglomerate with a footprint in out-of-home (OOH) media experiences, technology, diversified investments, and financial portfolios. Through a robust global network, W Ventures Holding is strategically expanding its portfolio both within the GCC and on the global stage, leveraging its three major investment arms.
At the forefront of the conglomerate is W GROUP, an influential player in media experiences and technology. Anchored by its subsidiaries, Hypermedia and DigitAll, W GROUP has revolutionized OOH media, thanks to Wehbi’s keen understanding of the pivotal role of technology in modern business.
Next is W INVEST with a laser focus on diversifying the group investment strategy. The investment holding embodies Wehbi’s belief in the potential of innovative ideas. It has strategically invested in various sectors that encompass industrial manufacturing and fabrication, health and wellness, e-commerce, and startups (music distribution, NFT ecosystems, web development, app creation, and more).
The third investment arm is W EQUITY, a diverse financial portfolio including real estate funds and private equity investment.
Experience Media Technology – W GROUP
Central to Wehbi’s success is an astute alignment of his vision with that of Dubai, which has enabled him to not only keep pace with the city’s rapid growth but also to lead the charge in OOH media digital transformation.
Today, W Group stands as a preeminent tech company in OOH across the MENA region. Wehbi’s audacious ‘555’ strategy is a testament to his ambition and has set W Group on course to achieve more than $136 million in revenue within five years, leveraging five strategic business verticals.
The CEO’s strategic long-term media collaborations with influential entities like Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and Expo City Dubai have cemented W Group’s position as a trusted partner in the dynamic OOH sector.
Additionally, his partnership with prominent mall developers such as Majid Al Futtaim, Aldar Properties, and Nakheel further exemplifies the breadth and depth of W Group’s influential collaborations.
What sets Wehbi’s investments apart is his relentless pursuit of innovation. His integration of data measurement tools and smart solutions has elevated the group’s OOH media network into a powerhouse, enabling brands to craft meticulous data-driven campaigns and optimize their return on advertising spend.
Furthermore, W Group’s Data Smart Technology was developed through strategic partnerships on both the regional and global levels, with the goal of introducing the technology to the U.A.E. and the broader GCC region. This initiative is set to transform the OOH and retail media landscape, ushering in a new era of data-driven experiences.
Habib Wehbi’s contributions to the business landscape of the Middle East, have been acknowledged by the region’s media and he is a member of YPO – Dubai Chapter, World Out of Home Organization (WOO), Digital Place-based Advertising Association (DPAA), and International Advertising Association (IAA).
