As is obvious to anyone who keeps up with the news, the Middle East remains a challenging territory for consumer products. Global property owners and manufacturers continue to enter the market or expand their operations there, however. In fact, there has been a burst of activity over the last six or so months.
One area of interest consists of theme parks, cafés, and other experiential ventures. Hearst and agent IMG announced that the first Harper’s Bazaar café, with retail operator Marka PJSC, would open in November 2015, followed by nine other locations across the region. Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA and agent Shooting Stars paired with MBC to develop Scooby Doo and Tom and Jerry theatrical shows in malls, stadiums, and theaters. And Sony and IMPS partnered with Dubai Parks and Resorts for a Smurfs Zone attraction at a new Hollywood-themed park, motiongate Dubai.
Fashion and lifestyle initiatives also are on the rise. Of the 10 emerging designers featured in Pepsi’s Pulse of New Talent collaboration with Vogue Italia, two were from the Middle East: Madiyah Al Sarqi from the United Arab Emirates and Lulwa Al Amin from Bahrain. Paris Hilton and agent Beanstalk joined with Apparel Club, a retail operator, for a collection of watches distributed in multibrand stores throughout the territory (already an important one for Hilton), starting in spring 2015. In addition, Karl Lagerfeld signed a five-year deal with Chalhoub to open 10 concept stores and 15 shop-in-shops by 2018, starting with a store in Saudi Arabia and two shop-in-shops in Qatar, all of which opened last summer.
On the character side, Del Monte secured a license from Walt Disney Middle East to market a line of canned mango, pineapple, and tropical nectars featuring Minnie Mouse and Spider-Man across the Middle East and North Africa. It also will be distributing fresh produce, juices, and dried fruits co-branded with Disney and Marvel characters. Meanwhile, Universal Partnerships & Licensing retained East West Licensing as its agent for the region.
The fact that so many deals, including these and others, have been announced since mid-2014 indicates continued interest in licensing in the Middle East and North Africa, despite the ongoing conflicts, political and economic upheaval, and cultural challenges. Territories such as the United Arab Emirates (especially Dubai), Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are particularly active, but countries all across the region are increasingly included in licensing deals.
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