The business started by a team of foresighted American investors, Majestic International today has flourished from being a regional company to being a powerhouse globally in the various businesses. Its meteoric growth in sectors, from retail and logistics to construction, steel, and marine engineering, speaks to the group’s commitment to innovation and adaptability within an evolving market. Today, it bases its operations in some of the world’s biggest hubs, including Dubai, Riyadh, New York, and Jeddah, consolidating its position and dominance on the world map.

One thing that distinguishes Majestic International from the rest is that quality operations are conducted in each and every field where Majestic International has set its foot. From designing leading-edge logistics solutions to being at the forefront of standards in marine engineering, Majestic International has continued to push the limits on every level. This helped expand the portfolio of Majestic International to 14 different industries, each carried out with a deep appreciation for the needs of both the local and international market. The result has been a name of solidity; one that has made business or governmental partnerships with it most sought after.

Much of the growth of Majestic International can be credited to Majestic Steel, based in Cleveland. Majestic Steel is a major part of the company that distributes steel products to more than 3,000 accounts through inventory management, processing, and distribution. These include construction and manufacturing-related companies. Recently, the company has expanded its business through the acquisition of Quicken Steel in Georgia and Mercury Transport in California. It has expanded its clients by such strategic moves while being one of the top steel suppliers across the United States. A new high-tech facility opened in 2023 in Hickman, Arkansas, that uses advanced material-handling systems reflects the company’s commitment to innovation and efficiency.

Majestic Steel, in pursuit of expansion and enhancing capabilities, had raised a credit facility of $287.5 million in 2023. This financing is vital for its acquisition and development projects, keeping the company well-equipped to face future market demands. Such strategic investments have made Majestic Steel an indispensable part of the Majestic International Empire and a forward-thinking leader in the steel industry.

Majestic Marine Engineering is another very critical business area for excellence in focused industries. Majestic Marine Engineering was launched in the 1980s, offering fully fledged construction of marinas and other marine civils, among others such services as installation of pontoons, dredging, and breakwaters. A recently announced one is the partnering with a Dubai-based Nakheel, developer on a $15 million investment with the island’s boat mooring to increase from just 3 berths to a total 600 berths. Majestic Marine plays a part in this venture because it can successfully deliver large projects that project Dubai as the luxury and marine tourism hub of the world.

Not only is Majestic International a resounding success story in steel and marine engineering, but the company has also significantly developed logistics and retail. The company has invested very heavily in both technology and infrastructure. The logistics division focuses on the international and regional markets by introducing innovative supply chain solutions within the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Majestic International’s logistics arm is deeply intertwined with global networks in order to ensure that it gives efficient, dependable service to its diverse client base while reinforcing its reputation as a reliable partner in this fast-paced global economy.

Leadership has been crucial in Majestic International’s continuing success. Since 2019, Mohammad Mabrouk has been the CEO, and during his tenure, the company has experienced a new growth and employee welfare. During Mabrouk’s leadership, Majestic International has not only increased business operations but has also earned the “Great Place to Work” certification in 2023, which reflects the company’s interest in a positive and supportive workplace. As certification points out, Majestic International is devoted to its workforces’ happiness and will be one of the primary talent choices for the business’s diversified industries.

Majestic International Company demonstrated its resilience, innovation, and adaptability. With its relentless investment in sustainable growth, technological advancement, and employees’ satisfaction, Majestic International creates the future course of success not only to the UAE but also for the rest of the world. A diversified portfolio combined with a strong business growth commitment will leave the company as a solid force across industries, helping the company to cement its position as a multinational powerhouse in each of its sectors by redefining standards for excellence.

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.

Network International Holdings is the payments technology leader in Middle East and Africa (MEA), providing sophisticated payment solutions to merchants and financial institutions. The company had a listing on the London Stock Exchange but was acquired by Brookfield Asset Management in September 2024. As a subsidiary of Emirate Bank in the UAE, the story of Network International’s growth was all about innovation, strategic partnership, and expansion into global markets.

Founded in 1994, Network International was the vision of Emirates Bank in simplifying the payments solutions in the region. Over the years, it grew to be a pioneering entity in the industry of payments. The company reached key milestones early on when it became the first independent vendor in the Middle East to be certified from Mastercard and Visa and other memberships with card schemes like JCB and UnionPay. This certification status made Network a reliable player, especially when digital payments were just beginning to emerge as a major industry.

Investments and acquisitions further propelled the growth trajectory of Network International. In 2011, the private equity firm Abraaj Group acquired a 49% stake, which marked the beginning of the company’s evolution into a prominent regional player. However, while working on its internal issues, Abraab sold the Network stake to the joint venture between Warburg Pincus and General Atlantic in 2015. This injected the company with capital and strategic insight that set up Network International for further success and growth.

Network International acquired Emerging Markets Payments for $340 million in 2016 and emerged as the largest payment processor in the MENA region. The acquisition made Network International more robust in the Middle East but at the same time also opened up the possibility of further expansion into Africa. With Network International taking in EMP, the company reached unparalleled scale and operational capabilities that position the firm uniquely and out of the rest, which enables it to process large volumes of transactions in diversified emerging markets.

The company further went public at the London Stock Exchange in 2019. At £2.2 billion, its IPO emerged as the biggest for the year in London. As a long-time partner of Network, one of them was Mastercard, which provided $300 million in investment-a move that gave testimony to its confidence in this institution. Thus, it was via the IPO, and the money put by Mastercard that empowered Network International to maximize strategic synergies, especially in payments technologies for the MENA region.

Network International took its African expansion strategy further by acquiring DPO Group in September 2021 for $291.3 million. DPO is the largest online payments platform in Africa, enabling Network to enter 21 African markets, diversifying its portfolio and strengthening its position further as a cross-continental payment solutions provider. The acquisition demonstrates Network’s focus on developing seamless payments infrastructure aligned with the unique economic conditions of each region it operates in.

It marked a big day in the books of the company as Network International saw its acquisition by Brookfield Asset Management in 2024. Brookfield has established itself as an investor that invests in infrastructure, long-term assets, among others, and hence presents stability and resources required in the next phase of growing Network International. It seems to fit into the trend set by the industry concerning consolidations in payments technology-a major step towards seeking economies of scale and efficiencies via strategic acquisitions.

Strong foundations in the Middle East and Africa will allow Network International to keep growing. The innovative payments leader, which relies on partnership and technology advancement, continues to take center stage as a key player in emerging markets. Backing by Brookfield will give Network International further operational leverage that will help it continue expanding into new markets, drive digital payment capabilities, and adapt to changes in financial landscapes in the MENA region and elsewhere.

The long journey from the levels of a subsidiary in UAE to a global payments player indeed speaks to the strategic vision of Network International, its staying power, and its prudence in shaping the future course of financial transactions. Viewed from the perspective of the Middle East and Africa, one can see today how indispensable Network International has become in today’s world, where everybody wants digital payments.