The US-based branding agency Jack Morton Worldwide has opened an office in Dubai, according to a statement on its website.
The firm, which was founded in 1939, describers itself as a "brand experience agency". Initial clients in the Middle East include Samsung, Kaspersky and Credit Suisse.
The company says it has worked in the region for "many years", with previous clients including the Qatar 2022 Bid Committee for the country's successful bid to host the Fifa World Cup.
"Opening in Dubai gives us a new base to support local and regional clients as well as further momentum to grow Jack Morton in the Middle East," said Josh McCall, chairman and chief executive of Jack Morton Worldwide, in a statement.
Jack Morton is part of the Interpublic Group, which operates 11 other businesses in the UAE, according to the group's website. These include the media agency UM and public relations firms Weber Shandwick and GolinHarris.
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now