The sleek and colourful homepage of The Sandy Times sets the tone. It is of a cultural platform filled with content where reviews of World Art Dubai, Design Doha and the art of the Arab world at the 60th Venice Biennale sit next to profiles of feline TikTok sensation Sister Minnie and interviews with everyone from fashion model Lana Albeik to influencer UAE skateboarder Nawstique, and the director of Dubai art gallery Firetti Contemporary, curator Cèline Azem.
The online publication was launched in February 2024 (at present only available in English) and clearly has its finger on the pulse of what is cool and trending in the region. ‘The main idea was to create a media outlet focused on culture, art, designers, artists and performance artists who are based in the Middle East because the industry is booming,’ head of content Sofia Brontvein tells LS:N Global. Behind the scenes, she leads the entire strategy and operations, and a team comprising European and South Asian expatriates rather than locals.
Designed for dual audiences
Many Western lifestyle publications have been launched in the region in the past decade and offer content in both English and Arabic, including Vogue, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire and Madame.
But Brontvein says The Sandy Times is taking more of a 'unisex or genderless’ approach to set itself apart from its competitors.
With more than 2,400 followers on Instagram in only a few months, the publication has already planned a 360-degree digital strategy with a radio station and video content, including documentaries on YouTube and a coffee table book featuring the work of local creatives and long reads.
‘Right now, everyone believes that in the Middle East, no one is reading,’ explains Brontvein. ‘But some people do want to read. On the website, we can see people reading for two, three or four minutes, not 15 seconds.’
The Sandy Times also aims to tap into the region’s multiculturalism, especially in Dubai. ‘It’s quite a diverse market with very different communities. There are Emiratis, Arabs, French people, British expats, Germans, Russians and Ukrainians. Indians and Pakistanis are one of the biggest communities in the Middle East. Yet everyone is separated. So, the idea is to be able to connect with all these different people who, for the most part, speak English at least on a B2 [intermediate] level.’
‘The culture of media perception is quite different here. You won’t see an Arab man reading GQ or Esquire’
Source: Sofia Brontvein, head of content, The Sandy Times
