A brand can pass every commercial test a licensing partner runs and still stall at the table. Amer Bitar breaks down why cultural authenticity is a deal requirement, not a marketing add-on, and what to check before that meeting happens.

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.