“Pakistan is ready”: Ahsan Sheikh on one of the world’s fastest-growing Out of Home markets
A week after the IRL Conference brought 325 delegates and WOO’s leadership to Karachi, WOO Ambassador for Pakistan Ahsan Sheikh sets out where the market stands, why digital is already a third of it, and what one united industry voice could unlock.
Ahsan Sheikh on stage at the IRL Conference, PC Marquee, Karachi, 5 November 2026On 5 November the Pakistan Advertising Association, in association with WOO, staged the IRL Conference at the PC Marquee in Karachi. Under the theme “Be Unskippable in Real Life”, it brought together more than 325 delegates from Pakistan’s advertising, marketing and media industries with the international Out of Home community. The Mayor of Karachi, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, opened the day alongside Tom Burge, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Deputy High Commission, and WOO President Tom Goddard led the WOO delegation.
The person who made it happen was Ahsan Sheikh, CEO of Kinetic Pakistan and WOO’s Ambassador for the country. Under his leadership Kinetic introduced both digital Out of Home and programmatic DOOH to Pakistan, and his push to bring media owners, agencies, brands and city government to one table gave the conference its shape. “I am hugely impressed by the quality, sophistication and professionalism of the speakers and panellists,” Tom Goddard said afterwards. “I take away valuable learnings to share with the global OOH community.”
For the WOO newsletter, we asked Ahsan five questions about the state of Out of Home in Pakistan. His answers describe a market growing faster than almost any other, with digital already carrying a larger share than India, and a clear view of what it needs next.
Pakistan OOH revenue in FY2025, up 38 per cent in two years
of brands’ media spend goes to OOH, against a 5 per cent global average
of OOH spend is already digital, ahead of India at 18 per cent
digital screens carrying more than 1,300 brands
Is the Out of Home market growing in Pakistan and the wider region?
Yes. OOH is one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing media.
The next step is value: at about $0.51 per person, Pakistan is still the lowest among its Asian peers.
What role is digital playing? Will this become more important?
Digital is the growth engine, and its role will only grow.
Pakistan has a number of trade associations. Would consolidation help your market develop?
Yes. One united voice for OOH would be our biggest structural step forward.
That means one set of standards with authorities, one trusted audience measure, and one credible voice to brands and government. It can start as a joint council or federation, built on fair competition.
How does the market divide between national, regional and global advertisers?
What role can WOO play in helping to develop the Pakistan OOH market as a whole?
WOO is the neutral platform that brings everyone to one table.
About Ahsan Sheikh
CEO, Kinetic Pakistan · WOO Ambassador for PakistanAhsan Sheikh is a media industry leader and the Chief Executive of Kinetic Pakistan, part of the Kinetic Worldwide network. Under his leadership Kinetic introduced digital Out of Home and then programmatic DOOH to Pakistan, both firsts for the market, and his writing on how OOH fits into the wider media mix has shaped the way agencies and brands plan the medium. He is a long-standing advocate for technology in media and for the role of Out of Home infrastructure in smart city development.
As WOO Ambassador for Pakistan he acts as the bridge between the country’s OOH industry and the global organisation, and was the driving force behind the IRL Conference in Karachi. He is an alumnus of LUMS and the College of Wooster, a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and President of the LUMS SDSB Alumni Association. Connect with Ahsan on LinkedIn.
More from Karachi
Read the full report from the IRL Conference 2026, or find out how WOO membership connects your market to the global Out of Home community.
