The Middle East and the GCC are a vast tapestry of cultures and heritages and languages, how is Puma navigating such complicated markets?
You’re absolutely right. the Middle East and the GCC are incredibly diverse, not just culturally but also demographically and socially. For PUMA, this diversity is not a challenge but an opportunity. We’re navigating these markets by deeply investing in local understanding. That means working closely with teams who are from the region, who live the culture, and who speak the language that’s both literally and figuratively.
We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Each market—from the UAE to Saudi Arabia to Kuwait and the rest has its own rhythm, preferences, and cultural codes. Our goal is to be genuinely embedded in that fabric, not just appear to be. This includes working with local creatives, tailoring our retail experiences, and even adjusting product lines to reflect climate, modesty requirements, or local trends. It’s a dynamic process, and we’re learning every day.
That said, GCC countries have also things in common that differentiate us from many other regions. One of them is a significantly younger population. Sports participation rates are on the rise across the region. Both of which are great opportunities for PUMA.
Puma is going from strength to strength worldwide with partnerships with the likes of ASAP Rocky and Rihanna – how is Puma picking its own collaborations in the region in terms of artists, designers and athletes?
Our global faces with iconic names like A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, and now F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton are all pushing boundaries and telling bold, culture-forward stories. But what’s equally important to us is doing that with authenticity in every region we operate in. In the Middle East, we’re focused on tapping into the creative pulse of the culture and spotlighting homegrown talent.
The first partnership that is very close to my heart is that with Al Hilal. The club has really brought Saudi football to the world stage and amplifies like no other the incredible football passion of the Saudi population. Our new jersey is the latest example of how we bring local heritage of the kingdom into product design and Marketing. Another exciting moment for us was the Al Hilal x KidSuper collection. This one blended the creative vision of Brooklyn-based designer KidSuper with the legacy and massive fanbase of Al Hilal, one of the most iconic clubs in the Saudi Pro League. It was a beautiful east-meets-west fusion that felt fresh but deeply connected to regional passion points like football and fashion.
A recent example is our collaboration with Saudi artist Rex Chouk for the relaunch of the Speedcat silhouette. With this collab, he had created a limited-edition Speedcat vinyl figure featuring his signature character decked out in Speedcats and PUMA apparel. It’s fun, bold, and culturally fluent—a perfect match for our brand ethos.
When it comes to launches like the Mostro, we’re also being very intentional with who carries the message. For this campaign, we assembled a regional “Mostro Squad” that included creative forces like WarrChief, Junaynah, Parvanee, Karrouhat, and more. Each brought their own unique voice and following to the table, helping us amplify the story through hyper-local, high-impact content that really moved the needle.
So in short, we choose collaborators not just based on fame, but on cultural relevance, creative edge, and the ability to authentically engage with their communities.
How can Puma localize its voice when originally it is an international brand, and how can it connect to audiences in the region?
We work hard to ensure that our messaging and campaigns are not just translated but truly adapted to reflect the emotions, values, and aspirations of the people we’re speaking to. That might mean engaging with key cultural moments like Ramadan or National Day, or highlighting regional athletes and creatives who our audience can identify with.
But equally, it’s about tone and nuance. The Middle Eastern consumer is very savvy, very connected to global trends, but they also deeply value local identity. So we walk that line carefully bringing in global energy while ensuring we’re respectful and reflective of local values. That’s how you connect meaningfully, not just superficially.
Puma has had a whole array or product launches lately, the most visible of which is the Mostro. What events or activations has been organized around this, and how can you reach local audiences with such products?
The Mostro has been a really exciting drop for us, not just because of how bold and unique the design is, but because of what it represents: something a bit unexpected, edgy, and full of personality. So when we planned the launch in the Middle East, we knew we had to do something just as bold to match it.
We brought the experience to life with an activation called “Free The Mostros” at Mall of the Emirates. It wasn’t your typical product launch. We wanted people to feel the energy of the Mostro in a really immersive way. At the center of it all was this spiky Mostro Pod a mysterious, slightly futuristic structure. Once you enter, participants had 10 seconds to pick the spikes pod. If you managed to pick the right spikes pod in time, you could win a pair of Mostros or some exclusive PUMA Mostro gear. The response was incredible people kept coming back to experience it again and again. Over the course of the two-week activation, more than 3,000 participants stepped into the Mostro Pod, each drawn in by the thrill and energy of the challenge.
But beyond the experience itself, it was about creating a moment that people could connect with and talk about. That’s what really matters to us. We also partnered with a regional “Mostro Squad”—a group of amazing creatives who brought their own flavor to the launch. They helped us tell the story of the Mostro through their own style, music, and voice making it feel grounded in the culture here.
Puma has both, a large dose of nostalgia associated with it, but also an element of newness, how can a brand communicate both at the same time – a heritage but also exciting new elements?
That duality is one of PUMA’s greatest strengths, honestly. We have a rich legacy decades of sports history, fashion moments, and cultural touchpoints. But we’re also relentlessly future-focused. The way we balance those two things is through storytelling. We might bring back a silhouette from the archives, but we reimagine it through a modern lens—new materials, new collaborations, new contexts.
It’s about showing that heritage isn’t static; it evolves. And that evolution mirrors what’s happening in the Middle East too—a region rooted in tradition but looking boldly ahead. So, when we launch something new, we always try to anchor it in something familiar—whether that’s a retro reference, a local insight, or a shared memory. That way, we’re not just chasing trends, we’re building emotional continuity with our consumers.
