Craze for Labubu, hit toy from China's Pop Mart, spreads to Middle East
After a meteoric rise in the US and Southeast Asia, Pop Mart International's latest iteration of its hit
Labubu character is winning deep-pocketed fans in the
Middle East , a fresh sign that the Beijing-based toymaker's ambition to become a 'truly global company' is gaining momentum.
Google trend data shows that interest in the toothy, elfin character created by Hong Kong-born artist
Kasing Lung surged in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the April 25 launch of the latest Big Into Energy series. Among the largest emirates, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah showed the strongest interest.
Previously little known in the region, Labubu is also trending in the Middle East's largest economy, Saudi Arabia, where Google search interest peaked during the week of May 18 before seeing a slight dip this week. The toy is most popular in Riyadh province, followed by the Eastern province and Mecca.
The toy is not just trendy in the region, but also expensive. Ben Dupond, a Dubai-based finance professional, told the Post that he bought his first-ever Labubu from Careem, a local delivery app, for 300 dirhams (US$109).
'I came across this thing when I was shopping for bottled water,' he said. 'I know I'm paying a big premium, but I keep seeing ads everywhere, and it's sold out at Dubai Mall, so I decided to get one here.'
He said the character looked 'a bit scary', but he found it 'kind of funny'.
All three generations of the toy are now listed on the Uber-owned super app, each priced at 300 dirhams – a significant mark-up compared with the series' US debut price of US$28, which was already US$6 higher than earlier versions.
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South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Craze for Labubu, hit toy from China's Pop Mart, spreads to Middle East
After a meteoric rise in the US and Southeast Asia, Pop Mart International's latest iteration of its hit Labubu character is winning deep-pocketed fans in the Middle East , a fresh sign that the Beijing-based toymaker's ambition to become a 'truly global company' is gaining momentum. Google trend data shows that interest in the toothy, elfin character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung surged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the April 25 launch of the latest Big Into Energy series. Among the largest emirates, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah showed the strongest interest. Previously little known in the region, Labubu is also trending in the Middle East's largest economy, Saudi Arabia, where Google search interest peaked during the week of May 18 before seeing a slight dip this week. The toy is most popular in Riyadh province, followed by the Eastern province and Mecca. The toy is not just trendy in the region, but also expensive. Ben Dupond, a Dubai-based finance professional, told the Post that he bought his first-ever Labubu from Careem, a local delivery app, for 300 dirhams (US$109). 'I came across this thing when I was shopping for bottled water,' he said. 'I know I'm paying a big premium, but I keep seeing ads everywhere, and it's sold out at Dubai Mall, so I decided to get one here.' He said the character looked 'a bit scary', but he found it 'kind of funny'. All three generations of the toy are now listed on the Uber-owned super app, each priced at 300 dirhams – a significant mark-up compared with the series' US debut price of US$28, which was already US$6 higher than earlier versions.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Labubu, Molly toys put spotlight on Hong Kong culture in Shenzhen festival
Global toy sensations Labubu and Molly alongside several Hong Kong household brands have been featured at a cultural industry fair in Shenzhen, with local businesses hoping to promote the city's unique culture to mainland Chinese consumers. Advertisement The organiser of the Hong Kong booth also said he hoped the exhibition would remind consumers that some of the most popular dolls from mainland toy company Pop Mart were created by the city's residents. Household names such as Camel and Red A alongside the creators of Pop Mart dolls were part of the 12 Hong Kong brands that took part in the China Shenzhen International Cultural Industries Fair on Thursday. The city's booth, designed by spatial designer Jan Wong Kin-wai, features a remake of a Hong Kong-style cha caan teng, complete with retro floor tiles and old-school booth seats, while figurines from Pop Mart's most famous series line the walls, drawing hundreds of eager fans. Plastic household items such as colanders and bowls were displayed under red lamps, a hallmark of Hong Kong's wet markets, in front of a wall made of red, white and blue plastic stools by decades-old homeware brand Red A. Advertisement The exhibition's theme is 'Hong Kong is So Stylish' and is organised by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Labubu propels Chinese trend factory Pop Mart into HK$300 billion club on Hong Kong market
Pop Mart International, the Chinese toymaker that thrives on a stable of trendy characters, eclipsed HK$300 billion (US$38.3 billion) in market capitalisation on Thursday, putting it in elite company on the Hong Kong stock market. Shares of the Beijing-based firm rose by as much as 6 per cent to a record HK$229, making Pop Mart the 27th most valuable Hong Kong-listed company, according to Bloomberg data. Tencent Holdings, valued at HK$4.8 trillion, was the biggest, followed by Agricultural Bank of China at HK$2.1 trillion. Pop Mart ended the day up 3.3 per cent at HK$223.20, for a value of HK$299.7 billion. Pop Mart has become a darling among investors because of its knack for nurturing intellectual property (IP) that makes its toys must-have items among Generation Z, or those born between 1995 and 2010. The stock has jumped about 10-fold over the past year after Labubu, an elfin character in the Nordic mythology-inspired 'The Monsters' series, gained global fame and fuelled overseas sales. JPMorgan Chase initiated coverage of Pop Mart with a rating of overweight and set its price target at HK$250 in a report this week. That was the most bullish prediction among the 43 analysts covering the toymaker, according to Bloomberg data. China Galaxy International expected the stock to hit HK$249.60, while Morgan Stanley predicted HK$224. Pop Mart's global revenue would surge by more than 150 per cent this year and it would deliver compound annual growth of 42 per cent through 2027, JPMorgan said. The gross merchandise value of the Labubu series could reach 14 billion yuan (US$1.9 billion) in two years, it added.
