Disruption in the Gulf has made headlines, but the region's fundamentals, from sovereign wealth to major infrastructure investment, remain intact. Here is why brands willing to move now, deliberately and with the right partners, stand to gain the most.

Brands stopped betting on one big name and started activating thousands of small, trusted partners instead. It's a lesson licensing hasn't fully learned yet, especially for brands entering the Middle East.

Passing the readiness test is only half the equation. Amer Bitar explains what a licensing partner actually evaluates once a brand sits down at the table, from deal mechanics to decision-making authority to category sequencing.

A large audience proves people will watch. It doesn't prove they'll buy. Here's the real test for whether a brand is ready to move from screen to shelf.

Licensing Expo 2026 just wrapped in Las Vegas — record numbers, brands from 78 countries, the full breadth of what the global licensing industry has built. I walked that floor and asked the same question I ask every year: where are the Arab brands?

I just walked the entire floor at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. Great brands from every corner of the world. But not a single exhibiting brand from the Middle East. Here is what that absence tells us and what I am doing about it.

The Middle East is no longer just a destination for imported brands. A new generation of regional IP is emerging — and the licensing infrastructure to support it is finally catching up. Amer Bitar examines what this shift means for global brands, regional rights holders, and the future of MENA licensing.

Planning your Middle East market entry? Learn the 10 key due diligence questions every brand must ask before selecting a partner, covering licensing, localization, IP protection, and strategic growth across the GCC.