Dubai’s media industry joins UAE push to take home-grown expertise global

The expansion of UAE-based companies overseas shows how the country is beginning to export brands, intellectual property and business expertise alongside capital.

Media could become one of Dubai’s next major export industries as UAE companies take brands, intellectual property and expertise developed at home into international markets, industry leaders and academics have said.

The expansion reflects a wider evolution in the UAE economy. After establishing globally recognised businesses in aviation, tourism, technology and food and beverage, companies based in the country are increasingly carrying their operating models, creative capabilities and commercial knowledge overseas.

“The international growth of UAE-based media companies reflects the sector’s growing maturity and ambition in its home market,” Dr Ross Curran, Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, told Arabian Business.

“As with other sectors, where domestically grown organisations develop expertise and the ability to add value, they will look to capitalise on international growth opportunities.”

The comments follow ITP Media Group’s acquisition of Singapore-headquartered Heart Media Group, taking the Dubai-based company into Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. ITP Media Group is the publisher of Arabian Business.

Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Media City, Dubai Production City and Dubai Studio City, said the expansion showed how companies built within Dubai’s media ecosystem could grow beyond the region.

“We congratulate ITP Media Group on its expansion into Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, marking another milestone in the growth of a company that has built a global media business from Dubai,” Al Suwaidi told Arabian Business.

“Its international expansion reflects the strength and ambitions of Dubai’s media and creative ecosystem, which has brought together international and regional industry leaders, nurtured homegrown champions and created an environment where businesses can innovate, grow and expand to new markets.”

Heart Media portfolio joins ITP

The acquisition adds Heart Media’s portfolio of luxury and lifestyle titles, including ELLE, Esquire, Grazia, LUXUO, Men’s Folio, NOBLE, WOW and Yacht Style, to ITP’s international operations.

Heart Media’s brands and local teams will operate under the ITP Media name, with the integration taking place in phases. The deal follows a 10-year agreement for ITP to operate Time Out Singapore and Time Out Hong Kong.

The acquisition is one example of a broader change in the UAE’s international business presence. The country has long been a major source of overseas investment, while companies developed within its domestic economy are increasingly taking their own technology, brands, content and management expertise into other markets.

Media intellectual property can span publication brands, digital products, content formats, podcasts, events and the commercial systems used to connect advertisers with audiences.

Curran said the industry was particularly suited to international expansion because digital distribution allows content and creative services developed in one market to reach audiences elsewhere.

“Media is a very scalable industry, particularly as content, advertising, production services and digital communications can increasingly reach global audiences through digital platforms,” he said.

“The UAE has demonstrated that it can build internationally recognised sectors beyond oil, including aviation, tourism, technology and food and beverage.”

Curran identified Arabic-language content, podcasts, digital media, marketing communications and production services as areas in which UAE businesses could develop products for international audiences.

Dubai’s ability to attract professionals from around the world also gives its media companies experience in producing content for people with different cultural and commercial backgrounds.

“Few places in the world can claim to be as multicultural as Dubai,” Curran said.

“This gives the Dubai media industry an impressive ability to understand, connect with and engage international audiences that is hard to match.”

That ability is becoming increasingly valuable as media companies seek growth beyond their home markets while preserving local relevance and audience trust.

ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi said turning that advantage into international growth would require sustained investment in editorial quality, talent and technology.

“Investment in media has never been more important. Audiences have access to more information than at any point in history, and trusted brands, strong journalism and original ideas are becoming increasingly valuable,” he said.

“For media companies, the opportunity lies in investing in local talent and established titles, then giving them the technology and scale to reach audiences across markets while protecting the identity and credibility that made them successful.”

Dubai Media City builds media expertise

Dubai has spent more than two decades developing the infrastructure behind that capability. Dubai Media City, which recently marked its 25th anniversary, has brought broadcasters, publishers, advertising agencies, production companies, content creators and technology businesses into a dedicated industry cluster.

“For more than 25 years, Dubai Media City has been building a vibrant community of media companies, entrepreneurs, creative professionals and content creators,” Al Suwaidi said.

“Our sector-focused ecosystem enables businesses to innovate, collaborate and scale, supported by world-class infrastructure, access to talent and platforms that facilitate knowledge exchange and industry partnerships, further strengthening Dubai’s position as a global hub for content creation and the creative economy.”

The concentration of international and regional companies has helped people working in the UAE develop expertise across journalism, entertainment, digital distribution, commercial content, events and audience development.

Akawi noted Dubai Media City had played a central role in ITP’s own growth.

“Dubai Media City has been central to ITP’s journey for more than two decades. It has built a dynamic ecosystem that gives companies access to exceptional talent and global expertise. Combined with Dubai’s ambition and global outlook, this has enabled us to grow from a regional publisher into an international media company,” he said.

The conditions for successful media exports

The growth of a media export industry would follow a path already visible elsewhere in the UAE economy. In food and beverage, locally developed restaurant and hospitality concepts have expanded into new cities. In technology, UAE companies are selling software, platforms and digital infrastructure internationally.

Media companies can follow with content brands, production capabilities and audience models developed within the country.

International expansion still requires a detailed understanding of local audiences, business practices and stakeholder relationships. Media is particularly sensitive to cultural differences because its products depend heavily on language, identity and trust.

“Organisations must stay loyal to the identity and values that brought them success in their domestic market and, critically, develop a detailed, nuanced understanding of any international markets before entering,” Curran said.

UAE companies should consider acquisitions and partnerships that provide local expertise rather than attempting to establish every overseas operation independently, he added.

“Key ingredients to success will include developing strong stakeholder relationships in overseas markets, a willingness to adapt to that market’s needs and long-term commitment from senior leaders in the organisation.”

The approach is reflected in ITP’s plans to retain existing editorial, commercial and operational teams in Singapore and Malaysia. Heart Media founder Olivier Burlot will join the ITP Media Group board, while Wilson Lim will continue to lead the Singapore and Malaysia operations.

Al Suwaidi said the next stage would test how successfully the company could carry its Dubai foundations into culturally distinct markets.

“As ITP expands further into Asia, we look forward to seeing the company build on its Dubai foundations, reach new audiences and create opportunities for the media industry internationally,” he said.

For the UAE, the opportunity extends beyond the growth of individual companies. It is the development of an economy capable of producing brands, ideas and intellectual property with commercial value far beyond its borders.

Media is now becoming part of that story, taking expertise accumulated within Dubai’s international ecosystem and applying it to audiences around the world.