​​Hong Kong-based gaming firm Animoca Brands announced Tuesday its official expansion into the Middle East, with a presence in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to meet the growing demands of Web3 organizations moving into the region.

The company has also appointed Omar Elassar as managing director for the Middle East and head of global strategic partnerships.

Omar will oversee the company’s Middle East growth and operations, and will play a key role in advancing Animoca Brands’ presence in the region. The new location will serve as a hub to engage with local and international partners, foster innovation, and guide strategic direction, operations, and partnership initiatives to enhance the company’s presence in the Middle East, the company said in a statement.

Omar is a Web3 veteran that brings eight years of strategic Web3‑native, technology and financial business development experience to Animoca Brands in the Middle East.

Prior to Animoca Brands, he held senior executive roles in growth strategy and business development at major Web3 protocols such as Polkadot, via Parity Technologies, and Ripple, where he spearheaded strategic partnerships and investments across gaming, music, decentralised social networks, real‑world‑asset tokenization (RWA), and payments.

Before Omar entered the Web3 industry, he worked across corporate and technology strategy, as well as financial advisory at firms including Oliver Wyman, Deloitte, and Morgan Stanley. He holds an MBA from INSEAD, and an Honours degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Commenting on the appointment, Evan Auyang, group president of Animoca Brands, said: “Omar’s deep expertise in Web3 makes him an exceptional addition to Animoca Brands. His leadership will be a key driver in driving Animoca Brands’ strategic growth in the Middle East and beyond.”

Omar Elassar, managing director for Middle East and head of global strategic partnerships, said, “We are excited to establish our first office in the Middle East, one of the world’s most connected innovation hubs, to leverage the region’s vibrant landscape and support the evolving needs of the Web3 industry locally and globally. Joining Animoca Brands at this phase in its journey presents a unique opportunity to work with visionary builders and contribute to the wider integration of blockchain technology in a market that is poised for significant growth.”

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