How the Middle East has developed a Blueprint for Ultra-High-End Brand Building
By Rush Bhana
Over the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of helping shape some of the most ambitious brand launches in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, and engineering a new definition of luxury and legacy.
From NEOM’s Trojena to The Red Sea’s Nujuma and Six Senses, and from Atlantis The Royal, this region has shown me what it takes to build destinations of desire - crafted for the world’s most discerning audience: Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals (UHNWIs).
Why This UHNWI Market Matters
According to Knight Frank’s 2024 Wealth Report:
The Middle East saw a 16.9% rise in UHNWIs in one year.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the top destinations for UHNWI relocation and investment.
The GCC is projected to host over 43,000 UHNWIs by 2028.
The region responds with bold, branded ecosystems designed for experience, exclusivity, and elevation.
What I’ve Learned About Brand, Vision & Culture
1. Market at the Soul of the destination
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is a national strategy and brand architecture connecting tourism, tech, culture, and capital. It’s where campaigns, infrastructure, and digital UX meet with one unified tone of ambition.
Projects like Red Sea Global’s - Shebara, Six Senses, St Regis, and Nujuma, a luxury coral reef resort powered by regenerative tourism and future-focused inspired designs, show how vision can manifest at the edge of imagination and still attract real estate interest from global elites.
2. Culture Is the New Luxury
You can’t market to UHNWIs with clichés. You win their loyalty by weaving authentic, place-based narratives—steeped in history, nature, and nuance.
At Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve set within the Red Sea narrative, the story is about connection to untouched nature, Saudi heritage, and the soulfulness of privacy.
Similarly, Six Senses Southern Dunes builds its luxury experience on sustainability and desert minimalism, a nod to Bedouin roots and regenerative travel trends.
78% of UHNW travelers now prioritize transformational and culturally rich experiences over status symbols (Virtuoso, 2023).
3. Destination is Content Focused
In this part of the world, the execution of speed is impressive for the number of content pieces required for maximum exposure. Over 200+ creative assets were developed and projects move from blueprint to global launch in months, not years.
Case in point: The launch of Atlantis The Royal 'THIS IS IT' Integrated Marketing Campaign, featuring a groundbreaking music video collaboration with renowned Dutch DJ Tiësto and Canadian artist Tate McRae, with over 400 million streams, 220 million TikTok views, and 37 million YouTube views.
4. Global is the Future of Luxury
All these brands share—Shebara, Nujuma, Atlantis, Six Senses—the ability to be globally coveted but locally grounded. They are what I call “glocal luxury” brands—rooted in culture, designed for movement.
McKinsey data shows that brands that balance global standards with local authenticity outperform traditional global or local models by up to 2.5x in affinity and spend.
Today’s luxury customers want meaning, not just material. They seek brands that reflect where they are going and what they stand for.
Final Reflection:
The Middle East taught me that world-class branding today requires:
Systemic vision, not one-off campaigns
Cultural intelligence, not just global polish
Speed with soul, not just scale
And above all, an obsession with experience over ego
These lessons are now embedded in how I think, build, and lead brands—whether in Dubai, Cape Town, Doha, or beyond.
If you’re a brand leader looking to connect with UHNW audiences, launch in the GCC, or evolve your storytelling for a new generation of wealth and influence, I’d love to connect.
📩 rbglobal@rushbhana.com | 🌍 www.rushbhana.com
#Vision2030 #UHNWI #LuxuryMarketing #DestinationStrategy #BrandLeadership #MiddleEastBrands #RushBhana #AccountDirector
