Chinese SUV specialist Jetour eyes massive Middle East expansion
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
20 minutes ago
- Zawya
Qatar maintains tourism growth in first half of 2025, achieving record visitor numbers
The tourism sector in Qatar continued its strong growth during the first half of 2025, welcoming more than 2.6 million international visitors between January and June, representing an increase of 3% compared to the same period last year. Visitors from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries accounted for 36% of arrivals, followed by visitors from Europe at 26%, Asia and Oceania at 22%, and 7% each from the Americas and other Arab countries. These figures underscore Qatar's standing as a preferred destination in both regional and international markets. Qatar saw visitors arrive by air (57%), by land (33%), and by sea (9%), reflecting the success of the country's multi-access strategy that ensures ease and smooth entry for visitors from around the world. This growth coincided with solid performance in the hospitality sector, with hotels recording an average occupancy rate of 71%, an increase of 2 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024. A total of 5.23 million hotel nights were sold, marking a 7% rise from the first half of last year. Commenting on these achievements, His Excellency Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chair of the Board of Directors of Visit Qatar, said:"The figures for the first half of 2025 confirm the success of our comprehensive strategy to strengthen Qatar's position on the global tourism map and to develop the tourism sector as a key pillar in diversifying the national economy, in line with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. As part of our efforts, we will continue to deepen cooperation at local, regional and international levels, expand strategic partnerships, and participate in major global forums. We are confident that the second half of the year will deliver further achievements and wider successes, driven by an ambitious vision and integrated plans that ensure the tourism sector as a whole provides experiences that meet the expectations of residents, visitors and stakeholders." Earlier this year, Qatar Tourism announced that the tourism sector as a whole contributed QAR 55 billion to the country's GDP in 2024, accounting for an estimated 8% of the total economy, a 14% increase compared to 2023. This demonstrates clear progress towards the Tourism Strategy 2030 target of raising the sector's contribution to 10-12% of GDP. Qatar's strong tourism performance is the result of a robust strategy led by Qatar Tourism and supported by its promotional arm, Visit Qatar. Media Campaigns and Events In the first half of the year, Visit Qatar launched several regional and global media campaigns to attract visitors from key target markets. This included the recent "Moments Made for You" campaign, which highlights the range of experiences available during the summer season and invites visitors from GCC countries and beyond to discover Qatar. Visit Qatar also released a promotional film featuring English footballer David Beckham, showcasing the country's diverse tourism offerings, from heritage and culture to modern attractions and natural sites. Additionally, Visit Qatar expanded its stopover promotion campaigns, focusing on priority markets including the United Kingdom, United States of America, South Africa, China and Australia. These campaigns coincided with major events such as the Qatar Toy Festival, which recently completed its third edition, attracting over 130,000 visitors, a 12% increase from the previous year. Other notable events included the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition 2025, Ras Abrouq, Sealine Season, Shop Qatar, and Qatar International Food Festival, alongside key initiatives such as Scoop on the Sea and the ongoing whale shark tours. Engineer Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, Chief Executive Officer of Visit Qatar, said:"Our success in the first half of 2025 demonstrates sustained momentum and growing confidence from regional and global markets in Qatar's tourism offerings. We have attracted more visitors through a distinctive combination of major events, international campaigns, and innovative tourism products that cater to a wide range of interests. We will continue to invest in these areas and introduce initiatives that strengthen Qatar's position as a global destination blending authenticity with modernity, providing residents and visitors with a world-class experience year-round.' Second Half of 2025 Qatar Tourism and Visit Qatar are currently preparing to host major events and launch key initiatives in the second half of 2025. The 2025/2026 cruise season will launch in November 2025, building on the success of the previous season, which saw 87 cruise ships dock in Qatar, a 19% increase from the year before, and welcomed over 360,000 visitors, up 4% from the prior season. The second half of the year will also feature the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Championship finals in Doha, held in partnership with the Professional Triathletes Organisation. Other highlights include the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™️, the F1® Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2025, the third Qatar Tourism Awards, the unveiling of the Michelin Guide Doha 2026, along with several other events to be announced soon.
Campaign ME
an hour ago
- Campaign ME
Oakley revives its ‘fearless spirit' to celebrate 50 year anniversary
This summer, the global eyewear brand Oakley has launched its limited edition Oakley Ellipse 50th Anniversary collection to honour the brand's legacy of disruption while simultaneously looking towards future with a refreshed vision. In conversation with Collin Allin, Oakley META's Sports Channel Manager & GCC BBM, Campaign Middle East dives into Oakley's regional brand strategy behind the anniversary campaign. 'Over the past five decades, Oakley has defined itself by challenging convention and pushing the boundaries of performance, design, and innovation,' Allin says. 'As we look to the next 50 years, we have revived that same fearless spirit with a recharged brand identity rooted in authenticity and evolution.' The brand's anniversary campaign has been designed to speak directly to the hybrid athlete: a consumer who lives at the intersection of performance, fashion, and street culture. These are individuals who might hit the track in the morning and the skatepark by afternoon. 'They seek self-expression, authenticity, and a product that performs as hard as they do,' Allin says. 'In the Middle East, this resonates with Gen Z, a rising generation of sport-loving youth and lifestyle trendsetters who demand both aesthetics and utility.' Furthermore, the campaign is also designed to reconnect with loyal Oakley purists who've followed the brand from its origins in elite sport. The strategy behind the Oakley Ellipse 50th Anniversary campaign In terms of reinventing the brand's identity Allin explains the anniversary campaign is not just a celebration of where the brand has been; it's a bold statement of where it's going. 'We're still engineered for athletes, but we're now speaking to a new generation: those who blur the lines between sport and culture, performance and expression. The brand DNA remains bold, disruptive by design and built with function in mind,' he explains. This strategy centers around community, storytelling, and experience. 'We activated a tiered release approach across retail, digital, and cultural spaces,' Allin says. In the Middle East, Oakley has partnered with regional running clubs, cycling collectives, and padel communities to 'co-create moments that live both online and on-ground,' Allin says. 'Our anniversary drops were supported with exclusive capsule showcases in key retail locations like Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, paired with curated influencer seeding and targeted social amplification across META platforms.' 'We also launched the first-ever Oakley Community Club to deepen our connect with sporting communities in the region,' Allin adds. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Oakley Middle East (@oakleymiddleeast) Campaign roll-out Structured across a 12-month period, with key spikes in activity aligned to milestone product drops, the campaign includes seasonal launches, and community events. Additionally, the campaign runs across digital, retail, experiential, PR, influencer marketing, and media. 'Oakley's 50th is a movement and a milestone,' Allin says. Consumers first engaged through teaser reels and legacy stories on Instagram, followed by immersive pop-up retail spaces and on-ground activations like the Oakley Run Club Takeovers. Following this, regional influencers and athletes amplified the message through bespoke content drops. 'Every touchpoint – from a product swing tag to a geo-targeted digital ad – was unified by the 50th visual identity, with a focus on bold storytelling and community participation,' Allin explains. Localisation a key factor in Oakley's regional storytelling Furthermore, the brand tapped into localised content to highlight the technicality of Oakley's designs, with a nod to Middle Eastern style sensibilities. 'Localisation is not an afterthought; it's at the front and centre of our strategy,' Allin says, explaining that in the Middle East, Oakley's global brand energy was translated through the lens of regional relevance. Allin explains that: 'this includes bilingual campaign roll-outs, collaborations with local athletes and creators, and curated visuals that speak to the prevalent sport culture: referencing padel courts, desert trail runs, and high-performance training on rooftops.' The brand has also adapted global creative assets to reflect regional fashion nuances and climate-driven utility without compromising Oakley's technical storytelling. Actualising this strategy, Oakley has partnered with a handpicked group of Middle Eastern sport and lifestyle creators who 'embodied Oakley's 50th ethos – bold, unapologetic, and performance-led.' From Emirati triathletes to Saudi street cyclists and Dubai-based fitness creators, 'these collaborations were not so much about endorsement as they were about shared storytelling,' Allin explains. According to him, the creators' content brought the campaign to life in a culturally resonant way, 'extending our reach and authenticity, especially across Instagram and TikTok.' 'The impact was immediate; increasing engagement, expanding our audience base, and inspiring meaningful dialogue around sport and identity,' he adds. Results of the Oakley Ellipse 50th Anniversary campaign Oakley combined a scorecard of both hard and soft KPIs to measure the campaign's success. Performance metrics included reach, engagement rates, and sell-through of anniversary SKUs. Oakley also closely tracked footfall to retail experiences and online traffic spikes post-influencer activations. On the brand equity side, the team measured campaign recall, sentiment, and share of voice across owned and earned media. 'For Oakley, success isn't just sales; it is about reigniting cultural relevance and re-establishing community connection,' Allin said. 'Since launch, we've seen a 38 per cent increase in regional engagement across social, with video content from the anniversary campaign outperforming our initial benchmarks by 60 per cent,' he explains. 'Key anniversary SKUs sold out within weeks at flagship retailers, and the Oakley Middle East Run Club community grew by 400 per cent during the activation period.' 'On the softer side, sentiment tracking showed a marked shift – positioning Oakley as not just a sport brand, but a lifestyle icon re-entering the cultural conversation,' he adds, claiming that this signals long-term brand equity growth. All in all, Allin concludes with a note that Oakley is witnessing the return of brand love in markets it has reactivated through its Oakley Ellipse 50th Anniversary campaign.
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
iACCEL GBI and Toronto Business Development Centre team up to help startups scale across UAE and Canada
iACCEL Gulf Business Incubator (iACCEL GBI), a leading go-to-market accelerator launched under the patronage of Dubai SME, has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC), Toronto's 35 year old, premier non-profit startup incubator. The agreement establishes a robust cross-border framework designed to support high-potential startups in navigating international expansion between the UAE and Canada. This partnership brings together TBDC's experience helping global startups grow in North America and iACCEL GBI's success in the UAE and Middle East, creating a pathway for expansion. Opening Canada's vibrant tech ecosystem to UAE & Middle Eastern startups, while offering Canadian entrepreneurs' clear pathways into the GCC Region. This partnership comes at a time when both countries are looking to grow stronger startup ecosystems. It shows a joint commitment to helping founders succeed beyond their home markets. iACCEL GBI and TBDC will work together to launch new efforts that give startups the right support networks, guidance, and real chances to grow in global markets. Startups that participate in the initiatives and programs, from this association will receive strong support to prepare for new markets, along with direct links to investors, business leaders, and local experts. The Toronto–UAE Innovation Bridge will also offer ongoing access to shared tools, trusted advice, and learning from other founders. "Partnering with TBDC represents a new chapter in how we help entrepreneurs achieve global ambitions," said Deepak Ahuja, Co-founder and CEO of iACCEL GBI. "By working closely with an organization that has decades of experience supporting international startups in North America, we're opening exciting opportunities for founders of this region to scale into one of the world's most dynamic technology regions." Anishkaa Gehani, Co-founder and CMO of iACCEL GBI, added: "Startups thrive when they have access to fresh perspectives and the right ecosystem to support their journey. Our partnership with TBDC is about fulfilling this need - by creating a platform where entrepreneurs from the UAE and Canada can connect, test ideas in new environments, and accelerate their ambitions with confidence." Vikram Khurana, chairman of Toronto Business Development Centre, said: "Our partnership with iACCEL GBI creates a launchpad for UAE startups to grow into North America and pathways for Canadian ventures into the Gulf. The UAE is a critical node in the global innovation landscape and this partnership will foster two-way access between two major tech and investment hubs." With both countries emerging as strong startup hubs, this partnership allows iACCEL GBI and TBDC to play an active role in shaping global innovation, while helping the UAE grow as a top destination for entrepreneurs.
