Gushcloud expands into Abu Dhabi, hoping to help MENA’s top creators go global

Gushcloud is continuing its expansion push in a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (aka ADIO) that will see it establish headquarters in the MENA region and team up with local governments, universities, and creators.

Gushcloud says it’s the largest talent representation, content distribution, and creator monetization business in Asia, and it currently has offices covering 13 territories, including Australia, Greater China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the U.S. It recently acquired a 500-creator multichannel network from Paris-based agency Wizdeo, giving it its first European stake.

The Wizdeo acquisition and this ADIO partnership follow Gushcloud’s plans to expand globally over the next couple of years. CEO Althea Lim, who founded Gushcloud in Singapore in 2011, told us the company wants stakes in North and South America, too, and that its ultimate goal is to “represent $1 billion of annual income for creators” around the world.

ADIO, meanwhile, is the UAE’s government office for economic health. It handles tourism and retail development, and works with local and foreign entities who want to invest money and/or business into the region.

We’ve written multiple times about the United Arab Emirates’ creator economy aspirations. It wants to turn Dubai into the creator center of the future, and is shelling out tens of millions of dollars in an effort to make that happen. But while Dubai is often mentioned at the crux of those aspirations, Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital city, also wants the economic boost that comes from creator engagement.

Gushcloud will set up in Abu Dhabi and, as we mentioned above, work with local governments and organizations to establish opportunities for creators, it tells Tubefilter. It also plans to “identify and invest in top local creators within MENA to turn them into global creators via Gushcloud’s Creator Venture Program.”

If successful, those creators will be encouraged to “establish sustainable businesses and secure funding in the UAE,” Gushcloud adds.

Other plans include:

• “Developing and providing solutions for brands and agencies to expand their reach into MENA and India through influencers and content creators”
• “Developing new experiences including offline and online events and masterclasses that highlight the influence of local and global creators in the region”

“Abu Dhabi offers a thriving ecosystem for digital content creators. This strategic expansion led by this partnership will allow us to offer more services to our clients (being creators and brands) in the MENA region,” Andrew Lim, Group CFO of Gushcloud International, said in a statement. “The city’s strategic location and business-friendly environment make it an ideal hub for our operations in MENA and India. We look forward to deepening our connections with the local community and contributing to its vibrant digital media ecosystem.”

Badr Al-Olama, ADIO’s General Director, added, “We are pleased to have Gushcloud expand its presence in Abu Dhabi. This advances our shared ambition to grow a world-class creator economy in our nation. The appointment of senior leadership in the emirate reflects real momentum and underlines Abu Dhabi’s role as a magnet for talent, innovation and global opportunity in the digital media space.”

As Gushcloud pushes into the UAE, it will continue its string of mergers & acquisitions in other regions as well. Lim told us the company is “obsessed” with buying companies that benefit creators in Gushcloud’s key service areas: representation, content production/distribution, monetization, and capital injections.

Gushcloud is a Tubefilter Partner.