In a strategic move to strengthen its presence in the fast-growing Middle East market, Condé Nast has transitioned four of its best-known brands from licensing agreements to direct in-house operations.
“Our iconic titles Vogue, GQ, Condé Nast Traveler and Architectural Digest have long been a part of the cultural fabric of this region, and today, we’re thrilled to be directly leading them and expanding their reach,” said Middle East managing director Thomas Khoury during an event Thursday in Dubai to mark the occasion. Vogue Arabia has been published under license since 2016 and GQ Middle East since 2018.
Anna Wintour, chief content officer and global editorial director of Condé Nast, addressing an audience of luxury brand leaders and key partners said, “Now we want to help them grow with the full force of our global networks behind them, in a region with an extraordinary history and an unbelievable rate of acceleration toward the future.” She said this was her first visit to Dubai.
By consolidating its global business, Condé Nast is positioning itself to capitalize on the region’s rapid growth and evolving consumer preferences. “This region is one of the few global markets that is fast-growing across many categories that are core to our business, like fashion, beauty and luxury,” Khoury said.
The Middle East’s young demographics, with 60 percent of the population under age 25, and high digital adoption rates are driving a strategic shift. The company is now focused on a mobile-first, social-first and digital-first approach for the region, while maintaining a selective print presence. “Our focus is on the young generation — Gen Z, Millennials and Gen Alpha,” Khoury said. “We’re not letting go of print completely, but the lion’s share of our strategy and revenue is now digital.”
In addition to the editorial and content focus, events have emerged as a crucial pillar of Condé Nast’s Middle East business. The company is leveraging its global cultural moments, like the Vanity Fair Oscar party and Vogue World, while also creating localized events around regional celebrations like Ramadan and Diwali.
Manuel Arnaut will be head of editorial content for Vogue Arabia, continuing his leadership role that began in May 2017. For GQ Middle East, the company has tapped Amine Jreissati as head of editorial content. Both will publish their first print issues under direct management in March.
Khoury explained that the decision to transition the business to direct management gives them more control over brand positioning. “When you’re operating with a licensee or distributor, they are more commercially driven, which is great, but we need to focus more on the brand, on journalism, on the cultural side of the business,” Khoury said.
Condé Nast is also addressing the challenge of finding native Arabic-speaking editorial talent. Khoury acknowledged that this has been an “elephant in the room,” but said the company is working to collaborate with academic institutions to elevate journalism standards in the region. “It’s very important to be contextually relevant,” Khoury said. “We have plans to work on developing that side of the fence when it comes to the fashion industry specifically.”
