Condé Nast titles Architectural Digest and Condé Nast Traveller in the Middle East will become owned and operated under Condé Nast starting in 2023.
In a statement, Albert Read, deputy managing director for Condé Nast Europe, noted the growth potential in the region.
“We’re delighted to introduce AD and Condé Nast Traveller as our first owned-and-operated brands in the Middle East,” Read said. “This is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world and we believe these iconic brands can accelerate their growth with connectivity to our global infrastructure. ITP have been outstanding partners and we look forward to continuing working with them on GQ and greatly appreciate their stewardship of AD and CNT over the past years.
The business imperatives of bringing the titles under Condé Nast are obvious, even as human rights groups continue to sound alarms about the countries’ record on human rights. Leaders in the Middle East, including oil-rich United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have in recent years undertaken a soft power campaign to depict the countries as progressive and tolerant relative to many other nations in the region. Dubai has become a travel destination, especially for Europeans. And the U.S.