Latest news with #MENA-based
Mid East Info
4 days ago
- Business
- Mid East Info
Wamda and Inc. Arabia Collaborate to Strengthen Startup Storytelling in MENA - Middle East Business News and Information
Dubai, UAE – August, 2025 — Wamda , the platform dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship and innovation in the Middle East and North Africa MENA, has entered into a collaboration with Inc. Arabia , the official Middle East edition of the US-headquartered , which is published by 7awi Media Group , to broaden and enrich journalistic coverage of the region's startup ecosystem. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to inclusive storytelling and media access for founders, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem enablers across the Arab world. By combining Wamda's regional network and ecosystem insights with Inc. Arabia's editorial reach and publishing capabilities, both entities aim to highlight the people and ideas shaping the MENA's innovation economy. 'At Wamda, we believe in the power of consistent and credible storytelling to support ecosystem growth. This collaboration with Inc. Arabia is a practical step toward expanding the visibility of entrepreneurial voices and contributing to a more informed and connected regional narrative,' said Fadi Ghandour, the CEO of Wamda. The collaboration will focus on co-publishing selected stories, exploring opportunities for research-based content, and ensuring broader reach for under-represented voices in the regional ecosystem. It also opens the door for potential joint initiatives that can deepen the media's role in supporting economic and social development through entrepreneurship. 'Inc. Arabia has always championed bold ideas and brave founders. This partnership with Wamda helps us go further—unearthing and amplifying stories that matter across the startup ecosystem,' said Anas (Andy) Abbar, CEO of the UAE-headquartered 7awi Media Group. 'Together, we're building the region's most powerful media engine for innovation and entrepreneurship.' In a region experiencing rapid digital transformation and an increasingly active startup landscape, both Wamda and Inc. Arabia see value in working together to provide high-quality, accessible coverage that informs, supports, and reflects the realities of entrepreneurship in the MENA. About Wamda: Wamda is a leading platform tracking and supporting entrepreneurship and innovation across the Middle East and North Africa. Through its news coverage, research, and community programmes, Wamda provides in-depth insights into the region's startup ecosystem while fostering connections between founders, investors, corporates, and policymakers. About Inc. Arabia and 7awi Media Group: Launched in the MENA region in 2023, Inc. Arabia is the official Middle East edition of Inc. Business Media—an award-winning US-based multimedia brand for entrepreneurs that aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of risk-takers, innovators, and go-getters who are creating the future. Inc. Arabia is part of 7awi (pronounced 'Hawi') Media Group , a leading MENA-based group that has been creating engaging, meaningful content across its publishing platforms for the past 12 years.
Campaign ME
5 days ago
- Business
- Campaign ME
Hearst appoints The Vantage as its official MENA media representative
Hearst Global Solutions (HGS), the international advertising division of one of the world's largest lifestyle publishers, has appointed The Vantage as its official media representative across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The appointment grants The Vantage exclusive representation rights to Hearst's portfolio of international editions, including 27 editions of Harper's Bazaar, 19 of Esquire, 10 of Men's Health, and more – spanning more than 50 global brands. Commenting on the partnership, Gianluca Ena, Senior Vice President at Hearst Global Solutions, said, 'The Vantage brings strong regional insight, operational excellence, and a results-driven approach that complements our global mission.' Ena added, 'We look forward to building meaningful connections between MENA-based brands and our internationally celebrated titles. We're committed to bringing the stories of the Middle East to the rest of the world through our extensive global portfolio.' Built on title such as Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, Men's Health, Women's Health, and Runner's World, Hearst Global Solutions is known for delivering storytelling across lifestyle, fashion, beauty, wellness and food. Through this partnership, agencies and marketers in the MENA region gain streamlined access to brand-safe, premium global platforms, enabling them to scale their campaigns with authenticity, cultural relevance and impact. Manoj Khimji, Managing Director at The Vantage, said, 'We are proud to represent the powerhouse in lifestyle publishing in the MENA region. Their brands are not only internationally recognised and trusted, but they also provide incredible storytelling capabilities across diverse lifestyle categories. This partnership enables us to offer advertisers premium access to influential global audiences through one strategic gateway.' The strategic collaboration further enhances The Vantage's growing roster of world-class media partnerships, reinforcing its leadership in connecting regional marketers with influential global media platforms. Earlier this year, The Vantage, formerly known as The MediaVantage, a global media representative in the region, along with The GreenVantage and The TechVantage, known for their focus on championing sustainability in advertising and adtech solutions respectively, officially united under a single, dynamic brand identity: The Vantage. Marking the company's 15th anniversary milestone, the rebrand reflected a strategic evolution, aligning the group under one cohesive brand while enhancing its position as a global advertising partner.
Kuwait Times
19-07-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
NBK marks milestone with $800 million Additional Tier 1 bond listing on LSE
The largest issuance within the bank's Tier 1 Additional capital instruments KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) celebrated the listing of its $800 million Additional Tier 1 bond on the London Stock Exchange. This milestone highlights the Bank's strong and growing presence in global capital markets and reaffirms NBK's expansive global footprint, with a branch network spanning four continents across 13 countries. Among its key international markets, London holds strategic importance through National Bank of Kuwait (International) PLC (NBK- London), which delivers a full spectrum of banking products and services to its clientele. The listing ceremony took place at the London Stock Exchange — one of the world's leading financial marketplaces — with the participation of senior executives from NBK and NBKI (NBK-London). Leading the occasion were Zaid Al-Sager, Deputy CEO – International Banking Group at NBK; Meshari Bin Salamah, EVP - Global Head of Corporate Banking and Commercial Real Estate and Bassem Boustany, Managing Director of National Bank of Kuwait, London (NBK International) and Abdul Amir Fadel EVP - Global Head of Consumer Banking – IBG. The event underscores the bank's strategic commitment to diversifying its funding base and reinforcing its footprint across international capital markets. The listing of the bonds on the London Stock Exchange reinforces NBK's ongoing commitment to deepening its long-standing relationships with leading global exchanges. It also reflects the growing confidence in the Bank's robust credit profile, as demonstrated by the consistently strong demand for its debt issuances across international markets. LONDON: During the celebration of National Bank of Kuwait (NBK)'s listing of its $800 million Additional Tier 1 bond on the London Stock Exchange. The successful issuance and listing of the bonds on the London Stock Exchange underscores NBK's leadership in the regional banking landscape and reflects its strategic vision for global expansion. It is a testament to the Bank's long-standing legacy of excellence, innovation and prudent growth. This issuance marks the bank's largest to date under this tranche, driven by robust investor demand that enabled an upsizing beyond initial expectations. Following a brief pause in GCC bond activity within the first tranche of additional capital — after a wave of issuances in May — NBK's transaction drew robust interest from a globally diversified investor base. Investor appetite for the issuance was exceptionally strong, with subscription orders reaching $2.2 billion, representing a 2.75x oversubscription rate. Demand was driven by a broad and diversified base of global investors and financial institutions, with private banking platforms playing a pivotal role in the placement process. The results underscore investor confidence in NBK's robust credit profile and reaffirm Kuwait's standing as an appealing investment destination. MENA-based investors represented the largest share of the allocation, accounting for 47 percent of total demand, followed by investors from the United Kingdom at 19 percent, the United States at 18 percent, Europe at 13 percent, and Asia at 3 percent. By investor type, asset managers and investment funds accounted for 48 percent of total demand, followed by banks and private banking services at 44 percent, while sovereign entities, insurance companies, and pension funds represented the remaining 8 percent of total subscription applications. Robust investor demand enabled NBK to achieve highly favorable pricing for the issuance, with the final yield set at 6.375 percent ( percent (equivalent to UST+240.3bps), representing a 50 basis point tightening from the initial price thoughts (IPTs) of 6.875 percent. The investment-grade credit rating of the issuance, including a Baa3 rating from Moody's, further enhanced its appeal — driving strong interest from international private banking platforms and global asset managers. Citigroup, JP Morgan, HSBC, and Standard Chartered acted as Global Coordinators for the issuance, while the Joint Lead Managers included Citigroup, JP Morgan, HSBC, Standard Chartered, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates NBD, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, KAMCO Investment Company, and National Bank of Kuwait. •The listing underscores NBK's deep-rooted relationship with one of the world's most prominent stock exchanges • Robust investor appetite reflects global confidence in NBK's strong credit fundamentals and regional leadership
Campaign ME
15-07-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Property Finder drives 1,000% surge in daily leads with AI avatars for SuperAgents
MENA-based property portal brand Property Finder is rewriting the rules of real estate marketing with the launch of an AI-powered campaign. The initiative supports top-performing SuperAgents by creating useful AI-generated digital avatars for them, and unlocking a new avenue to gain qualified leads. In a bold, tech-first move, the company has harnessed advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create personalised content at scale, reportedly delivering more than a 1,000 per cent surge in daily seller leads for participating SuperAgents and setting a new benchmark in partner value. By integrating AI motion, voice synthesis and storytelling into avatar content, Property Finder completed each asset in under five days, optimising a process that would typically take six weeks. The result is nearly $1 million saved in production value and a repeatable model for agent empowerment. 'This isn't just a marketing campaign, it's a shift in how we drive results for our partners,' said Sevgi Gür, Chief Marketing Officer at Property Finder. She added, 'We didn't want to limit our use of AI to simply driving cost savings and production efficiencies, instead we set out to leverage the technology available today to put dynamic, high-quality content in agents' hands faster than ever before. AI has moved from experiment to impact, and I'm eager to push the boundaries of storytelling further, enhance talent visibility, create narratives that resonate and deliver real business outcomes.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by AIDAN DOYLE (@aidandoyl) Property Finder AI SuperAgents campaign rollout Property Finder's SuperAgents are top performing real estate agents who help home-seekers. They are highly knowledgeable, respond promptly and thoroughly to leads, have high quality listings, and deliver outstanding results. This SuperAgent offering also incentivises positive real estate agent behaviours. To support its standout SuperAgents, Property Finder has placed 'client dedication' at the heart of its latest campaign, creating AI-generated agent avatars for SuperAgents. These AI avatars were developed entirely in-house, bringing agents' real-world expertise to life through dynamic, personalised content. From a two-minute photoshoot, Property Finder's creative team built dozens of tailored assets including social-ready videos, stills, and branded visuals. Every asset reflects the individual agent's persona and professionalism set against their community of choice and expertise, underpinned by a rigorous avatar verification process. Not only have the agents been recreated, the scenes themselves accurately reflect the communities down to the square metre. The results speak for themselves. Aiden Doyle, a SuperAgent at Strada Real Estate, reported a staggering 1,070 per cent increase in daily seller leads since launching his avatar content. 'It gave me a lot of credibility in the market and a discussion point with clients helping solidify their trust and assurance to work with me,' Doyle said. 'People started to notice me more flagging that they saw me on this campaign advert.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Property Finder (@propertyfinder) Challenging 'the creative frontiers of AI' In parallel, Property Finder continues to explore the creative frontiers of AI through initiatives such as Tiny Tenant, the region's first AI-generated property podcast voiced by digital characters. Originally designed for consumer engagement, the format is now attracting industry-wide interest from agency owners seeking innovative brand exposure. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Property Finder (@propertyfinder) 'Property Finder as always is ahead of the curve, bridging the gap between technology and creativity. My appearance on the Tiny Tenant podcast goes beyond innovation – it's a stepping stone to a future where we redefine how we connect with our audiences. More customers want bold, forward-thinking experiences and I am excited to be on the journey with Property Finder, to deliver these,' said Kika Pavese, Managing Director at MD Real Estate. This latest campaign cements Property Finder's position as one of the region's most innovative real estate platform, where cutting-edge AI is not just a talking point, but a tool for tangible growth, agent success, and creative disruption.
Campaign ME
09-07-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Ethara awards PR retainer for brand, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to The Romans
Ethara, an events and entertainment company, has appointed The Romans as its lead PR agency. The multi-year retainer includes work streams across corporate brand, live events, venues (such as Yas Marina Circuit, Etihad Park, Etihad Arena, among others), and the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Following a nationwide competitive pitch, The Romans bagged the six-figure partnership due to its reputation for dynamic communications strategies. 'The Romans bring a reputation for bold, creative communications that reflects our own ambition and energy,' said Andrew Stass, Brand Marketing and Communications Director, Ethara. 'As our new PR and communications agency, we look forward to working together to craft richer, more resonant stories that amplify our brand, our events, and the experiences we deliver across the region.' The move is also a result of Ethara's vision for growth in the future. 'As Ethara continues to grow in an increasingly competitive industry, elevating our brand and deepening engagement with our diverse audience segments remains a strategic priority,' Stass said. Commenting on the win, Joe Lipscombe, Partner, The Romans, said Ethara is a 'dream client for a UAE-based agency.' 'When it comes to live entertainment, Ethara is the pride of the Emirates, having become a force of nature on the global stage,' he said. 'From growing and pioneering the Formula 1 race weekend experience to transforming the region's music, culture, and sports landscape, its innovative and creative spirit has rewritten the script for MENA-based live entertainment.' Lipscombe called the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 'a crown jewel' in the region's events calendar. 'We're buzzing to help shape how the world experiences it,' he said. 'As an agency known for blending cultural intelligence with earned impact through our sports & entertainment work, we're itching to get stuck into the task of further elevating Ethara's story with the edge, energy, and creativity it deserves,' he concluded. Ethara also works with comms agency Seven Media in the region on general PR and comms services, according to PRWeek.
