Dazed Expands Global Footprint to Middle East and North Africa With ITP Media Group
LONDON — Dazed Media is expanding its global footprint to the Middle East and North Africa with the launch of Dazed MENA this winter.
A partnership with ITP Media Group, one of the largest media players in the region, Dazed MENA is positioned as the first youth-community-focused fashion, style and culture magazine that’s led by a team of homegrown creative talents.
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With a heavy focus on video, Dazed MENA will exist as a website, on social channels, as a quarterly print magazine, and offer limited-edition product collaborations, and an annual events program that will take place in key cities across the region’s 22 countries.
The Dazed MENA team also will collaborate with Dazed Media’s international team led by Ib Kamara on projects like the Dazed 100.
Jefferson Hack, chief executive officer and founder of Dazed Media, which also runs AnOther, Another Man, Dazed Korea, Dazed Beauty, and Nowness, said the launch of Dazed MENA is “a landmark moment for us and a significant step in Dazed’s global expansion strategy and digital transformation.”
“A quarter of the region’s population is made up of young people. Dazed MENA will no doubt become a major platform for millions of undiscovered voices and ideas — supporting the next generation through the stories we’ll tell and partnerships we’ll create. I look forward to seeing the cultural and creative exchange between all of Dazed’s international offices and audiences,” he added.
Ahmad Swaid, former content director at Dazed Media, has been appointed Dazed MENA’s editor in chief. Most recently, he held the same title at GQ Middle East.
His launch team includes creative director Mohamed Al Kindi; fashion director Omaima Salem; deputy editor Sarra Alayyan, and content director Fady Nageeb.
“Dazed was the place that empowered me for over five years, it is where I rose through the ranks and to be at the helm of its arrival in the region I am from and I grew up in feels full circle,” said Swaid, who was born in the U.K. to Lebanese and Sierra Leonean parents.
“It is an honor and a dream come true. Empowering talent is at the heart of what Dazed MENA is and it begins with the incredibly talented team I am bringing on board with me. Together we are creating a collective vision that champions youth and creativity across the region, diaspora and to create a cultural exchange on a global scale,” Swaid continued.
Marne Schwartz, managing director of ITP Media Group, said Swaid’s success over the past two years in creating “visibility, optimism and relevance for Gen-Z audiences has culminated in this new appointment.”
“Having given rise to voices less heard and topics less palatable, Swaid has brought a level of cultural impact and nuance to the ITP Luxury product portfolio. Launching Dazed MENA is a significant moment for us; the youth culture in the region are demanding transparency, trust and credibility, and Swaid at the helm will ensure we continue to transform the media landscape in the region and be that source,” Schwartz added.
ITP Media Group operates a portfolio of more than 80 media brands in the region, including Arabian Business, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Gault & Maulau, Time Out and Grazia.
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