Egyptian businesses invested EGP 12.7 bn in out-of-home (OOH) advertising in 2025, a 60% jump from the year before, according to outdoor ad aggregator AdMazad’s latest annual report (pdf). The surge was largely price-led, driven by high occupancy rates and rising licensing costs, AdMazad co-founder and Managing Director Assem Memon tells EnterpriseAM. Average billboard utilization rates hit 86%, with the Ring Road at 95% occupancy.

Inventory growth remained measured, with 900 new billboards added in 2025 (+9% y-o-y), mainly across high-growth corridors like New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed. Of these, 115 were digital-out-of-home (DOOH) screens, signaling a steady — if cautious — shift toward digital formats.

Real estate dominates, DOOH drives revenues

Real estate tightens its grip — for now. Real estate developers once again dominated the market, accounting for 65% of total OOH spend during the year and growing 72% y-o-y. While 15 of the year’s top 20 advertisers were in real estate, the sector’s shares had eased to 54% by year-end, raising questions about overreliance on a single growth engine. The report flags the need for media owners to widen their client base and hedge against any slowdown in the property market.

Digital screens generated 19% of total revenues despite representing just 5% of locations, making them the market’s highest-yield segment. Yet their rapid spread has stirred concerns over brightness and light pollution. Memon says the answer lies in adopting night-specific creatives and programmatic buying to reduce waste and overexposure. The industry still leans heavily on auto-dimming technology, but smarter content strategies could preserve visibility without overwhelming the public.

Advertisers push beyond traditional hot spots

While real estate brands continue to dominate premium districts such as New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed, where they account for more than 80% of spending, volume-driven sectors are expanding elsewhere, Memon tells us. The Delta and Upper Egypt are proving key battlegrounds for healthcare, telecom, and FMCG players, where lower ad rates and dense traffic translate into attractive returns.

The data points to a shifting pecking order in secondary cities. Mansoura and Zagazig are now outperforming Tanta for non-real estate advertisers, buoyed by stronger purchasing power and growing appetite for diverse brands.

Seasonal destinations are also shifting. OOH spending extended further along the North Coast, even beyond Ras El Hekma, though the area remains largely summer-driven, Memon argues. He added that Ras El Hekma reflects long-term brand positioning, while Sidi Abdelrahman continues to deliver the bulk of immediate consumer exposure. By contrast, Red Sea’s El Gouna has secured year-round visibility.

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