What line of business are you in?
Emperor is a corporate brand and communications agency. We help clients define and articulate their brand attributes, and design and produce Annual Report and Accounts, presentations, websites and intranets, and employee engagement and sustainability communications collateral.
Why have you chosen to expand to the UAE?
The economic prospects for the UAE are generally regarded as robust having recovered from the severe problems of 2009 and the subsequent years. There are currently 15 companies headquartered in the UAE listed on the London Stock Exchange (of which we already work with 4) and 50+ companies listed on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi exchanges. These companies present a significant opportunity for Emperor’s core services.
In addition to the listed businesses there are many state owned and private companies in the region across the sectors in which Emperor has significant experience and credentials: e.g. real estate, financial services, natural resources and tourism.
Please describe the process of deciding to expand/move onshore, and how your company came to choose the BCB.
We have been visiting the region for a number of years and have pitched and won significant client projects. It is clear that the market for the services that Emperor provides is less well developed than in the UK. We believe this provides us with a significant opportunity.
On a visit in September we were introduced to the BCB via the UKTI team in Dubai. We were impressed with the level of support, counsel and networking opportunities that the BCB can provide through the crucial first 12 months. We believe this will greatly enhance our chances of success.
What do you foresee for your industry in the coming twelve months?
Both the UAE and Qatar have both recently been upgraded by the MSCI to “emerging market” status, a step up from their previous classification as “frontier markets”. The change in status puts the UAE and Qatar in the same league as countries like China and Brazil. This is likely to increase the flow of investment into the region as more funds have exposure to it via the Emerging Market Index and other funds are required to increase their exposure.
It is clear that the market for the services that Emperor provides is less well developed than in the UK and local competition is relatively limited both in terms of numbers and sophistication. We believe this provides us with a significant opportunity.
What types of clients do you have, who should be contacting you for business?
Over the past 5 years Emperor has acquired some notable clients in the UAE and surrounding region. There are many state owned and private companies in the region across the sectors in which Emperor has significant experience and credentials: e.g. real estate, financial services, natural resources and tourism.
