Advertising alumni show how human creativity remains key to audience engagement
January 29, 2026, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE): Two graduates of Canadian University Dubai (CUD) are proving how human creativity remains a driving force in modern marketing, as they blend advanced technology with their talent for communication to rewrite the rules in audience engagement. Both alumni of the university’s BA Communications in Advertising program, Hala Nsour and Mahdi Shafiei have emerged as pioneers in fields that barely existed when they graduated and are now transforming their respective domains of artificial intelligence and TikTok marketing.
Hala’s journey began in the glamorous world of luxury fashion, working with names like Givenchy, before going on to develop content strategies for projects associated with Dubai royalty. Always looking to be part of the next big thing, Hala joined nybl, an AI startup that deploys science-based artificial intelligence solutions across sectors that underpin society, such as energy, healthcare and agriculture. Taking on the role of Marketing Manager at the age of 24, Hala was center stage at a time when the technology was met with scepticism and uncertainty.
Hala explained, “AI was still a misunderstood technology that people didn’t yet trust. That’s exactly why I wanted to be part of it, I knew I could help tell the story in a way that made it relatable. Our goal as a company is to democratise AI, which as a communicator means humanising a concept that is often viewed as heavily technical and out of reach. To do this, we use strategies that demystify AI, building trust in our founders as thought leaders to educate rather than defend, and frame the technology not as a threat, but as a force for good.”
Having climbed the ladder from Marketing Manager to Director and then Chief Marketing Officer within two years, Hala has showcased her ability to communicate complex technology in a compelling, accessible way. She credits her involvement in CUD clubs like the Model United Nations, the Student Council and the Poetry Society for giving her the soft skills that now underpin her career. As the business goes global, the company’s early endorsement of AI now speaks for itself, since nybl has partnered with giants like ADNOC, IBM, BP, and Microsoft, and its solutions have achieved remarkable results, including a 97% reduction in industrial downtime and a 3200% return on investment.
While Hala leads the conversation on the future of AI, fellow CUD advertising graduate, Mahdi Shafiei, is redefining the world of digital marketing. As the founder and CEO of Trifid Media, Mahdi took a risk that many at the time considered reckless, building an agency around TikTok before it became a marketing giant. His instincts proved right and Trifid Media was among the first agencies in the region to adopt the platform, offering exclusive workshops and building brand strategies long before TikTok hit the mainstream. Today, the company boasts over 100 billion views across social channels and has helped clients generate more than $100 million in sales.
Mahdi explained, “In 2018, everyone thought TikTok was just a dancing app for kids, but I saw that this platform would be the future of communication and seized the opportunity before it was fully understood by the mainstream. We became the first agency in the region to sign up and start hosting exclusive TikTok workshops.”
Combining his creative instincts, emerging technological tools and the confidence and curiosity he says he developed during his time at CUD, Madhi has built one of the region’s most disruptive marketing agencies. Now with nearly 200 full-time staff with an average age of 23, Mahdi is now backing the next generation of talent to combine their human creativity with emerging technology to write the next chapter in successful audience engagement.
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