From left, Michel Chahda, CEO, Gushcloud TalentPlus; and Althea Lim, Co-Founder and Group CEO, Gushcloud International.Gushcloud International, a global creator management and content commercialisation company, has completed the majority acquisition of TalentPlus Dubai, a UAE-based talent management and influencer marketing services firm, which Gushcloud initially invested into 15 months ago.
The transaction marks a significant milestone in Gushcloud’s deepened interest across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), reinforcing the company’s long-term growth strategy and global platform scalability.
Through this transaction, TalentPlus will rebrand to Gushcloud TalentPlus — a unit committed to managing and investing in handpicked creators from the MENA region to represent on the global stage, as well as representing and monetising key global creators and their IP for the MENA region.
Althea Lim, Co-Founder and Group CEO, Gushcloud International, said, “The UAE has done a great job in recent years marketing itself to creators and is becoming one of the most strategic markets globally for creators to live, work, play and build their businesses and family offices out of. Hence, this majority acquisition is a strategic step forward for us at Gushcloud to have more control in this large growing market that great adds value to the creator ecosystem that Gushcloud is building.”
Lim added, “We invested in TalentPlus 15 months ago and have worked closely with Michel Chahda and his team. They bring years of experience, trusted regional relationships, and a creator-first culture that aligns closely with our long-term vision. Taking a majority stake in the business and having Michel join us as a partner is an honour as Gushcloud continues to scale our operations globally to deliver value for creators, brand partners, and stakeholders across every market we operate in.”
The Middle East is a conducive market for creators, as Strategy& reported that digital content is expected to account for 46 per cent of the projected $22bn in media spending by 2024 in the region. GlobalWebIndex (GWI) also revealed in a recent survey that internet users in the region have an average of 8.4 social media accounts and has stated that MENA social media users spend an average of three and a half hours a day glued to their screens.
Gushcloud strengthens MENA scale, profitability and market leadership
Following the transaction, Michel Chahda continues to serve as CEO of Gushcloud TalentPlus and will be appointed as Partner of Gushcloud International.
This strategic move will also further strengthen Gushcloud’s capabilities across reserved media, creator IP development, and cross-border monetisation, enabling creators and brands to scale seamlessly across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
“Combining our local insights with Gushcloud’s global network, Gushcloud TalentPlus will enable us to create a global path and more monetisable opportunities for the creators we manage and represent exclusively. With Gushcloud’s growing online media inventory , extensive marketing services, and proprietary AI and data tools and platforms, we can now provide accuracy for brands to connect more effectively to their audiences via the creators, allowing more ROI for the brands,” said Michel Chahda, newly appointed CEO of Gushcloud TalentPlus.
Joining him to head up Gushcloud TalentPlus will also be newly relocated Gay Carr, Chief of Staff at Gushcloud International. She will continue to lead Gushcloud’s strategic multi-year partnership with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to establish Gushcloud’s regional HQ for EMEA & India in Abu Dhabi, boosting the emirate’s media/entertainment hub status, creating jobs, and fostering growth in the digital creator landscape, aligning with ADIO’s goals for economic diversification.
This collaboration helps Gushcloud expand into the fast-growing MENA market, leveraging ADIO’s support for talent, infrastructure, and local networks, aiming to make Abu Dhabi a global hub for creators.
