Our mission is to bring together the worlds of fashion and emerging technology, and shine a light on how this intersection is reshaping our industry in the region.
Welcome Reader to the November edition of the FashionTech Middle East newsletter. It was a full month for fashion and innovation: a calendar stacked with global and regional events, key industry reports landing, and the GCC turning up the momentum across Dubai, Riyadh, Doha and Kuwait.
Global news: The State of Fashion Report 2026
Now in its 10th year, McKinsey & The Business of Fashion released the State of Fashion 2026 report, a bellwether for the industry that outlines the structural forces shaping the year ahead. This edition places technology, AI and operational reinvention at the centre of fashion’s next chapter. Three themes stood out:
- AI is moving from assistive to orchestrating roles: The report shows AI shifting from peripheral tasks into the centre of commercial decision-making, driving forecasting, pricing, merchandising and inventory planning. Agentic systems, capable of taking actions independently, are emerging as a major force in how fashion businesses will operate.
- Traceability demands are forcing major digital upgrades: Forthcoming regulations such as Digital Product Passports (DPP) are pushing brands to adopt interoperable, data-rich systems rather than fragmented tools. End-to-end product visibility is becoming a structural requirement rather than a sustainability add-on.
- Creative workflows are becoming deeply AI-infused: AI-generated imagery, digital twins and algorithmic trend sensing are reshaping how creative teams work. Designers, technologists and data specialists increasingly collaborate as brands accelerate content production and move toward AI-native creative processes.
Fashion Trust Arabia 2025 in Doha
This year’s edition of FTA clearly elevated the conversation around sustainability, craftsmanship and technological innovation in regional design. The breadth of talent and the sophistication of execution sent a strong signal: the GCC creative ecosystem is maturing fast. Touchless, founded by Bahraini sisters Fatema and Dalal Alkhaja, won the Fashion Tech Award. The brand is known for combining craft and innovation: the sisters design futuristic, 3D-printed accessories that merge tradition and technology. (Source)
Majid Al Futtaim’s First Fully AI-Agentic Transaction
Majid Al Futtaim processed its first end-to-end autonomous retail transaction driven by an AI agent that handled product discovery, checkout and logistics routing. This landmark event hints at a future where retail in the Gulf becomes increasingly frictionless and data-native. For the region, especially high-volume markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, this could redefine how commerce scales in 2026 and beyond. (Source)
Oud Talks 2025 Kuwait: Where Heritage Meets Digital
At this year’s Oud Talks in Kuwait, panels explored how traditional luxury and crafts can coexist with modern business and digital-first strategies. Conversations ranged from brand scaling and storytelling to how Gulf luxury brands can harness e-commerce, social media and digital customer journeys without sacrificing cultural identity.
Rebecca Griffiths founded Primis.CX, a post-purchase platform purpose-built for the GCC, with one-click integrations for regional carriers and e-commerce platforms. After spotting a gap where high-volume returns were managed manually via WhatsApp and helpdesks, she pivoted the company’s focus, relocated to Dubai, and re-architected the user experience for GCC retailers.
👉 Read the full interview here.
November ✨ FTME Updates
Vogue Business Global Summit: Middle East Edition, Dubai
Held on 17–18 November, this summit gathered senior executives, brand leaders and creatives to map the future of luxury in the region. Themes ranged from digital frontiers and sustainability to Gen Z shifts and the rise of second-hand luxury. Notably, conversations focused on how brands can integrate tech, without losing craftsmanship or exclusivity.
Karin’s Riyadh Delegation
Karin joined a Swiss business delegation to explore the booming Saudi luxury market that met with the MiSK Foundation, the region’s Fashion Commission, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and stakeholders from the Public Investment Fund. The core message: Saudi isn’t emerging, it’s architecting with infrastructure, capital and policy aligned to support a new luxury and creative economy at scale. And Saudi’s ambition is clear: the Kingdom wants to attract the next wave of global tech innovators and luxury companies: the builders, founders and creators shaping what’s next.
Dubai Watch Week
A three-day deep dive into what luxury watchmaking looks like in 2025 – the energy was electric. Highlights included robotics + AI at work via an intelligent setting device from Audemars Piguet developed with Dubai Future Foundation Labs, and conversations about circularity, innovation, and heritage with leaders across the watch ecosystem as well as Chopard’s immersive experience room.
International Music Summit (IMS Dubai 2025)
IMS Dubai returned on 13–14 November, bringing together global and MENA artists, DJs, and industry thought-leaders. The summit featured a session hosted by Istituto Marangoni Dubai titled “Is the DJ Booth the New Runway?”, exploring the growing intersection of fashion, nightlife and music. We were invited to speak on panels: Karin on emerging technology in culture and entertainment, and Liya on the evolving VC landscape for creative industries across MENA.
Forbes Middle East Women’s Summit in Riyadh
An inspiring gathering highlighting women driving business, creativity and leadership across the region. The summit reinforced that Saudi is open for business, nurturing entrepreneurial ambition with infrastructure, capital and policy support.
Catch-Up: Rewire Fashion x Vogue Singapore
This month’s episode of Rewire Fashion featured Karin in conversation with the publisher of Vogue Singapore, Natasha Damodaran, exploring how legacy publishing can successfully adapt to the digital age. They discussed blending high editorial standards with AI-enabled storytelling, immersive media formats, and culturally nuanced content for new audiences.
- Sotheby’s Collectors Week (2-5 Dec) Abu Dhabi: a gathering celebrating luxury objects, collectibles and art, with increasing interest in provenance and storytelling — potential ground for fashion-meets-heritage collaborations.
- Global AI Show (8-9 Dec) Abu Dhabi: a major AI conference convening enterprise leaders, startups and policymakers to discuss AI adoption across industries — from retail and marketing to creative sectors.
- Sole DXB (12-14 Dec) Dubai: returns for its 13th edition with its signature blend of streetwear, music, art, and youth culture, drawing regional and global brands to Dubai for a weekend of high-energy showcases. This year’s edition will highlight how deeply fashion, sneakers, and creative subcultures are shaping the Middle East’s cultural landscape, and why global brands continue to view the region as a strategic hub for youth engagement.
We’re planning a breakfast gathering for industry leaders, innovators and early adopters to come together and discuss the future of fashion, retail and technology in the Middle East. Held during the week of ShopTalk Luxe. We will share more details soon. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please reach out.
Closing Thoughts
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with anyone in your network who might be interested in how technology is reshaping fashion in the Middle East and beyond.
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Until next month,
Karin & Liya
Co-Founders, FashionTech Middle East
