NewBoy FZCO’s Fulla Doll – A Cultural Phenomenon in the MENA Toy Industry

NewBoy FZCO, a Middle Eastern pioneer in the toy industry, has won the hearts of many little girls through its cultural icon, Fulla, a doll. This family-owned company was established in 1999 in Dubai and has rewritten the book on the MENA region’s toy market. Fulla, the best-selling doll in the Arab world, is more than a toy because she encompasses values that resonate so deeply with local culture; NewBoy’s influence and areas of leadership in toys, licensing, international partnerships, and private label development go much further.

NewBoy FZCO took its baby step in the year 1999 to build and present some toys that appeal towards younger audiences in ways reflecting local cultures. Such a vision manifested itself perfectly with the appearance of Fulla-the little doll-and turned to become an instant phenomenon within the Arab World. Envisaged on a line inspired from the essence of values embedded in families across the Middle East, Fulla started to rise much more beyond her destiny as just another toy in one’s box. Beyond Fulla, NewBoy boasts a wide range of products in stationery, nursery products, toiletries, and food products distributed widely throughout the MENA region with an added emphasis on Saudi Arabia.

One strategic strength of NewBoy is its well-developed licensing division that started with its proprietary characters advertising in the regions. Seeing that these characters quickly gained popularity with children, NewBoy transitioned to character licensing in many fields including food, textile, cosmetics, and jewellery. This business segment now licenses some of the most sought-after characters, generating income that reflects the potential of localized character branding. Moving overseas, NewBoy went international in 2003 by crossing an important milestone when it secured the rights to the very popular Japanese property, Let’s & Go!. This children’s mini 4-wheel-drive car racing show was successful in many regions, such as Europe and Latin America. Following this success, NewBoy collaborated with Japanese firm d-rights Inc. to co-produce a new animated series for young boys, further expanding its global presence. This is yet another example of NewBoy’s efforts to produce appealing content and products for audiences across the globe.

NewBoy also established a private label division whose purpose was to accommodate new brands. The concept in this division was to utilize designs that could serve the local tastes and preferences by maintaining high quality and safety levels. Apart from Fulla, NewBoy also possesses a private label portfolio in which it has brands like Fun to learn, an electronic learning series; Baby Habibi, a line of baby dolls and accessories; and True Play, which focuses on nursery and toddler toys. Its private label offerings keep continuously building a strong, culturally relevant product line-up resonating with families in the region.

But after those triumphs, things took a turn for worse on NewBoy FZCO in recent years. However it might not have been the actual NewBoy, but at other times under different brands names, such as the “Wahat Al-Atfal” that has served this company, adapting into changing dynamics in the marketplace yet being able to salvage what had been built-the company as a regional actor in the toy industry.

From its local business orientation towards a regional giant with a firm foothold through and into a regional market speaks so powerfully about the consumer relationship to culture-aligned offerings as a determinant of customers’ loyalty and market share in customer segments. NewBoy FZCO has created a long legacy in the MENA toy market by creating products that are extremely close to the heart of cultural values as well as through strategic partnerships across the globe. The success of Fulla and NewBoy’s larger brand portfolio is testimony to understanding and celebrating regional values through business innovation.