SapientNitro opens Dubai office

NEW DELHI, USA: SapientNitro, a global services company, has announced that it has opened an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Located in the Dubai Media City Free Zone, it marks the company’s foray into the region, said a press release.

The new office would serve the integrated marketing needs of Mars and other marketers in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE), as well as Egypt and Lebanon.

SapientNitro is one of Mars’ global agencies-of-record for TV/print advertising and digital production.

“We can’t thank Mars enough for their business and trust in us as they increase their presence in the Middle East,” said Will Davidson, SapientNitro’s global operations director who is establishing the Dubai office.

He added that they are excited to launch an operation in a vibrant market with huge growth potential. With experience operating in emerging markets like China and Russia, they have what it takes to build a world-class team and hit the ground running.

SapientNitro’s first assignment would be on behalf of the Galaxy chocolate brand throughout the Middle East.

"The SapientNitro team has proven to be an enthusiastic communications partner in AIME,” said Kristin Veriga, regional franchise leader at Galaxy.

He added that they have quickly understood the key challenges in the region, drawing on their global resources to ensure that the business continues to grow seamlessly.

Veriga added, “It’s a great start to what will, I'm sure, become a forceful partnership for the growth of Mars in Africa, India, and the Middle East.”

SapientNitro is hiring a mix of UAE nationals and expatriates to staff the business.

“Dubai is an incredibly diverse city, which provides a great opportunity to build an experienced and professional multicultural team,” said Paige Kilburn, executive business growth director and general manager of SapientNitro’s Dubai office.

“Less than 20 per cent of the UAE’s residents are UAE nationals; the remaining population consists of expatriates representing more than 200 nationalities. Likewise, SapientNitro has hired people born and raised in Dubai, as well as top talent from around the world,” Kilburn said.

He added that they are giving marketers in the region a new option in terms of agencies - one that delivers a multicultural approach, backed by an incredible understanding of traditional advertising and digital channels, as well as all the technology in between.