The wealthy countries of the Middle East attract companies from all over the world. Many well-known brands are opening branches in Qatar and the UAE. Wealthy citizens, numerous tourists, and favorable business conditions make these countries attractive to international companies and brands.
Finam talks about six popular brands from different countries operating in the wealthy countries of the Middle East.
Art Basel exhibition in Qatar
The art market also considers the Middle East to be a promising region. At the end of May, it was announced that Art Basel, the world's largest organizer of contemporary art fairs, will hold an event in the Qatar capital of Doha in February 2026. According to The New York Times, it will be the brand's first event in the region and will help art dealers find new wealthy clients. Leading artists and their works are already being carefully selected for the exhibition.
Philip Hoffman, CEO and founder of Fine Art Group, a London-based consulting company specializing in art, predicted that Art Basel Qatar will become a magnet for collectors from across the region. In his opinion, Saudis, residents of Dubai, and Africans will also attend the exhibition. The event is expected to be attended by 30-40 of the region's wealthiest families. Art Basel's focus on the Middle East is explained by declining art sales in the main markets in Europe and North America.
IBM in Qatar and the UAE
The American company IBM, one of the world's largest IT companies, also has branches in the UAE and Abu Dhabi. The company is one of the centers of the digital revolution in the region, as it is actively developing artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud technologies. The AI-powered IBM Watson platform helps companies analyze data and develop strategies.
IBM collaborates not only with companies from various sectors of the economy, from trade to healthcare, but also with governments. For example, the Dubai government actively uses the company's blockchain technologies to lead the industry among other countries. IBM also participates in government initiatives to decarbonize IT infrastructure and offers more environmentally friendly solutions.
In 2020, IBM established two large data centers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which helped many local companies begin to implement cloud technologies.
In 2024, IBM opened a new office in Doha, Qatar. Shukri Eid, IBM's general manager for the Gulf countries, said that this move is an excellent commercial opportunity for the company, as Qatar is the richest country in the region and is actively developing its technological infrastructure, as well as a partnership with the country's government, which aims to actively use AI and other innovative solutions from the company.
Qatar's Education City
Branches of renowned educational institutions began to appear in the Middle East around 25 years ago, and now they are thriving throughout the region. Qatar has stood out in particular, spending several billion dollars since the 1990s to create a special “Education City” and cover the costs of international universities invited to it.
The Qatar Foundation's support program includes Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, the University of Texas, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the French business school École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Paris.
According to the Washington Post, the branches of these universities receive $400 billion in support from the Qatar Foundation. This is the most generous offer to foreign universities among all countries in the Middle East.
Disney theme park in Abu Dhabi
In early May 2025, it was announced that Disney plans to build its 13th theme park in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. It is expected to be the most technologically advanced of all and will open its doors to visitors in about five years. It will be managed by the government-owned Miral Group. Approximately 500 million people live in the Middle East, so the Disney park has great prospects in the region. It will be built in the tourist heart of the city on Yas Island.
Tourists are promised a combination of classic Disney cartoons with Arabic motifs and local flavor, indoor attractions, and the company's famous castle in the oriental arabesque style.
The Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi
The Guggenheim museum network, one of the world's largest in the field of contemporary art, will be expanded with a new branch in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi in 2026.
The largest Guggenheim museum, with an area of about 30,000 square meters, was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. It is located on Saadiyat Island. The Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi will house an extensive collection of more than 600 works covering contemporary art from the 1960s onwards. It will feature works by artists from different countries and regions, including the Persian Gulf and West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia.
The opening of a branch of the world-famous museum will be another way for the Emirates to assert themselves as a cultural leader in the region and one of the world's major centers of contemporary art.
L'Etoile in Qatar and the UAE
Russian brands are also looking to expand eastward. For example, L'Etoile, one of Russia's leading cosmetics companies, has opened branches in both the UAE and Qatar.
In 2024, the L'Etoile chain opened five new stores in the Emirates: in Dubai, two stores in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Ras al-Khaimah. In addition, the company opened a new store in the Qatari capital, Doha. It complemented the two branches of the chain already opened in Qatar in 2023. At the same time, L'Etoile invested an estimated $5 million in just one store, located in the prestigious Abu Dhabi Mall in Abu Dhabi.
Entering the Middle Eastern market was an important milestone in the development of L'Etoile's international presence and strengthened the company's position in the market.
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