After a meteoric rise in the US and Southeast Asia, Pop Mart International’s latest iteration of its hit Labubu character is winning deep-pocketed fans in the Middle East, a fresh sign that the Beijing-based toymaker’s ambition to become a “truly global company” is gaining momentum.
Google trend data shows that interest in the character surged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the April 25 launch of the latest Big Into Energy series. Among the largest emirates, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah showed the strongest interest.
Previously little known in the region, Labubu is also trending in the Middle East’s largest economy, Saudi Arabia, where Google search interest peaked during the week of May 18 before seeing a slight dip this week. The toy is most popular in Riyadh province, followed by the Eastern province and Mecca.
Created by the Hong Kong-born designer Lung Ka-sing, Labubu is a series of plush toy monster elves with round, furry bodies, pointed ears and sharp teeth that form a mischievous grin. The toy is not just trendy in the region, but also expensive. Ben Dupond, a Dubai-based finance professional, told the Post that he bought his first-ever Labubu from Careem, a local delivery app, for 300 dirhams (US$109).
“I came across this thing when I was shopping for bottled water,” he said. “I know I’m paying a big premium, but I keep seeing ads everywhere, and it’s sold out at Dubai Mall, so I decided to get one here.”
He said the character looked “a bit scary”, but he found it “kind of funny”.
