In-market presence matters more in the GCC than in many other regions, because so much of the context — regulatory nuance, seasonal calendars, Arabic and bilingual positioning, local partner and media relationships — is easier to get right with someone who's actually in Dubai, Riyadh or Kuwait rather than parachuting in remotely.
A remote fractional CMO can still work well for narrower, more universal problems like performance marketing structure or measurement, but for brand positioning and market entry specifically, in-market or regionally embedded leadership — the model Kando uses across the UAE, Kuwait and Beirut — is typically worth the premium.