ABU DHABI, UAE — Gushcloud, a global creator and IP management and licensing company powered by AI, has joined a consortium of companies and business personalities in the UAE to shake up the talent and creator economy industry in the leading Middle Eastern nation.
Gushcloud has partnered with entertainment veteran Michel Chahda, who is the founder and CEO of Talent Plus, to scout and sign for talents, celebrities, and creators in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region and South Asia and bring them opportunities to the other parts of Asia and Hollywood, and vice versa.
This investment has the backing of ADM Holdings, which is part of the companies owned by Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum; and J&F Holdings, a private firm owned by serial entrepreneur and investor Faisal Belhoul who is also the Vice Chairman of the Dubai Chambers and a judge on Shark Tank Dubai.
This partnership comes after Gushcloud International opened its 12th office in Abu Dhabi last year. This office is the company’s first in the region and serves as a gateway to MENA and even South Asia (i.e., India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka).
Talent Plus is now able to tap into Gushcloud’s expansive network around Australia, East Asia (i.e., Greater China, Japan, Korea), Southeast Asia (i.e., Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), and the USA for MENA — and South Asia-based talents to sign cross-border deals and star in international campaigns. In turn, Gushcloud is also set to expose more of its American and Asian talents to the MENA and South Asia regions with Michel Chahda’s leadership and network.
“True to our vision of bridging the East with the West, we are now partners with Talent Plus, AMD Holdings, and J&F Holdings to strengthen our network and capabilities in these regions with untapped potential and abundant capital and resources. We couldn’t have chosen a better partner in Michel as he is an entertainment veteran in this part of the world. His leadership, our network, and our new corporate partners here will only make Gushcloud bigger, better, and more capable of meeting the demands of the ever-growing creator economy. This is another step for Gushcloud toward becoming a truly global creator economy company,” said Althea Lim, Gushcloud CEO and Co-founder.
Gushcloud’s new partner, Michel Chahda, has two decades of experience in the media and entertainment industry. He most notably founded the talent management/influencer marketing arm at MENA’s leading content and influencer management agency, making millions of dollars in revenue by connecting brands with top talents regionally and globally. He has worked with multinational brands in the healthcare, technology, retail, and beauty sectors and various government entities in the Middle East. Lastly, he has also worked in the football industry and has direct access to global football clubs and star athletes.
“I am proud and excited to enter this new venture with Gushcloud on behalf of my company Talent Plus. Joining forces to combine our local knowledge of the markets and talents with Gushcloud’s global network is a formidable combination. I’m thankful to have the support of AMD Holdings and J&F Holdings so we can start on a strong footing in MENA, South Asia, and beyond,” said Michael.
According to Goldman Sachs, the creator economy is currently valued at $250 billion and is projected to reach half a trillion dollars by 2027. Over 50 million individuals worldwide now identify themselves as content creators.
The Middle East is a conducive market for creators and talents, as Strategy& reported that digital content is expected to account for 46% of the projected $22 billion in media spending by 2024 in the region. Furthermore, GlobalWebIndex (GWI) revealed that internet users in the region have an average of 8.4 social media accounts. At the same time, another study stated that MENA social media users spend an average of three and a half hours a day glued to their screens.
For more information, visit gushcloud.com and talentplus.me.
