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Licensing Horizons Dubai 2026

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sofitel Dubai Downtown Hotel, Dubai, UAE

Licensing Horizons Dubai 2026

Licensing Horizons Dubai 2026
Data, Culture & Experiences: Building Integrated Ecosystems for the Middle East
 

Elevate your professional journey by attending the Licensing Horizons Dubai 2026 on March 24, 2026, at the prestigious Sofitel Downtown Dubai. This exclusive, invitation-only event is the premier gathering for industry leaders, innovators, and experts in the Middle East and Africa's brand licensing sector.

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Don't miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of shaping the future of brand licensing in the Middle East. Secure your spot today and join us for a day of learning, networking, and celebration. 

For partnership, speaking, and sponsorship opportunities, feel free to reach out to Amer Bitar at amer.bitar@bbmlicensing.com

Why Attend Licensing Horizons Dubai 2026?

The Middle East’s Premier Licensing, Retail & Consumer-Trends Conference

Licensing Horizons Dubai 2026 brings together global brand owners, retailers, manufacturers, and creators to explore the fastest-growing licensing opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa. Built around the theme Data, Culture & Experiences, the event delivers actionable insights on how to scale IP across GCC markets—UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman—and wider MENA.

Strategic Insights for High-Growth Markets

Gain forward-looking intelligence on MENA consumer trends, cultural localization, category performance, and regional IP ecosystems. Learn how brands can use Dubai as a hub to expand across the region and tap into emerging value pools in entertainment, retail, gaming, anime, sports, and lifestyle experiences.

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Retail & E-Commerce Opportunities

Understand the region’s evolving omnichannel retail models, marketplace dynamics, and multi-country launch strategies. Discover what it takes to activate licensed products successfully across both Gulf premium retail and mass-market North Africa.

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IP Convergence Across MENA

Explore the rise of cross-border fandoms, digital-physical experiences, and multi-country licensing rollouts. See how gaming, streaming, anime, art, sports, and LBE are shaping the next wave of regional growth.

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Connect With Industry Leaders

Network with global executives, regional retailers, government stakeholders, and top licensing partners driving the Middle East’s creative economy. Build partnerships that unlock real commercial expansion across MENA.

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Celebrate Innovation

Join the Licensing Awards Middle East and celebrate the brands, retailers, creators, and agencies transforming the region’s licensing landscape.​

Agenda Overview — Licensing Horizons Dubai 2026

The Middle East’s Premier Licensing, Retail & Consumer Trends Conference

Licensing Horizons Dubai 2026 delivers a future-focused program designed to help global brands navigate the fastest-growing licensing, retail, digital, and consumer markets in the Middle East and North Africa. Explore the full agenda shaping the region’s next wave of IP expansion.

Opening Session: Leadership Keynote

Licensing as a Growth Engine for the Middle East’s Creative & Consumer Economy

Featuring global and regional leaders, this keynote explores:

  • Growth of the Middle East creative economy

  • Development of regional IP ecosystems and GCC cooperation

  • Cross-market licensing flows across UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Egypt

  • How global brands can scale across MENA using Dubai as a strategic hub

This session positions Dubai as the center of gravity for IP expansion, retail innovation, and cultural experiences in the region.

Panel 1: Culture as Strategy in the Middle East

Identity, Values & Localization Across Diverse Markets

A deep dive into how cultural intelligence drives consumer adoption and brand success across the Middle East:

  • Translating global brands across distinct cultural clusters

  • Understanding cultural nuance as a key purchase driver

  • Avoiding a “one-size-fits-all Middle East strategy”

  • Building culturally resonant ecosystems across GCC and wider MENA markets

This session equips brands with the insights needed to localize authentically across highly diverse audiences.

Panel 2: The Middle East Consumer Landscape

Data Signals & Regional Behavioural Trends

A data-driven look at the forces reshaping consumer behavior across MENA:

  • Category performance differences between GCC, Levant, and North Africa

  • Youth culture trends shaping entertainment, fashion, and F&B

  • Rise of cross-border fandoms in anime, gaming, and sports

  • Migration-driven population shifts

  • Forecasting tools for consumer and category growth across the Middle East

Perfect for brands seeking next-generation consumer insights.

Panel 3: Retail & E-Commerce Ecosystems Across MENA

Models, Platforms & Launch Strategies

Explore how the region’s retail and e-commerce landscape is evolving:

  • Multi-market launch strategies for the GCC and North Africa

  • Retail activation models that maximize penetration across diverse channels

  • Adapting global innovations for Gulf retail ecosystems

  • Marketplace evolution and digital commerce growth across the MENA region

This session highlights the commercial pathways for high-impact product launches in the Middle East.

Panel 4: IP Convergence in the Middle East

Gaming, Streaming, Anime, Sports, Art & Location-Based Entertainment

Understand how digital and physical experiences are merging into massive new licensing opportunities:

  • Rising fandoms across multiple countries

  • Shifts in content consumption across markets

  • Multi-country rollout strategies for global IP

  • A regional opportunity map for gaming, anime, sports, art, and LBE

An essential session for anyone operating in entertainment, experiential licensing, and digital IP expansion.

The Convergence of Data, Culture & Consumer Experiences

Closing Session: Middle East Licensing Outlook 2026–2030

A forward-looking assessment of the region’s licensing landscape:

  • Multi-market growth drivers reshaping the industry

  • The formula powering MENA expansion:

  • KSA’s scale + UAE’s connectivity + Egypt’s mass market + Gulf premium retail + North Africa diversification

  • New value pools emerging from cross-market integration

  • The global outlook with the Middle East as a high-growth strategic zone

This session provides the roadmap brands need to plan, scale, and thrive in the next decade.

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