Brands
20th Century Fox to open branded resort in Dubai
MUMBAI: Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products has inked an international licensing partnership with Al Ahli Holding Group to build a Fox-branded theme park and resort in Dubai.
This will be the second 20th Century Fox World theme park and the first Fox-branded resort. The deal allows for a roll-out of up to three additional Fox-branded resorts in territories outside Dubai.
20th Century Fox World, Dubai, an immersive entertainment destination, will encompass themed lands featuring unique attractions, rides and retail outlets that will bring to life the studio’s iconic film and television franchises. The licensing partnership with AAHG also calls for the creation of the world’s first Fox-branded resort, where themed rooms and dining opportunities will offer visitors a chance to further immerse themselves in the entertainment brands and rich history of 20th Century Fox.
Highlights of 20th Century Fox World, Dubai will include:
– Theme park consisting of themed lands and attractions based on Fox properties, including, Ice Age, Rio, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Predator, Night at the Museum and Titanic, The Simpsons and Sons of Anarchy.
– A broad attraction mix, ranging from media-based dark rides to thrill rides that will tell new stories based on Fox film and television brands.
– A themed retail street featuring unique shopping and dining based on Fox properties.
– The world’s first Fox-themed resort hotel.
“20th Century Fox World, Dubai is the second Fox theme park destination and marks an important step forward in our global theme park strategy. Fox World will be a world-class destination that will help fuel Dubai’s emergence as a global tourism destination. This park builds on the foundation being laid by 20th Century Fox World, Malaysia, currently under construction,” said Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products president Jeffrey Godsick.
Al Ahli Holding Group CEO Mohammed Khammas said, “AAHG’s history in the genre of entertainment is replete with successful partnerships with top motion picture studios. We pride ourselves in understanding the pulse of the audience and catering to it with novel and breakthrough projects.”
“Fox’s rich history of great entertainment-based intellectual properties from movies, television shows and animation concepts will help us spearhead this project and add value to our latest offering in the global entertainment space. As part of our international deal with Fox, we look forward to building these attractions and resorts globally starting with Dubai as the first location and additional Fox branded resorts that we hope to open across other territories in the future,” added Khammas.
“We are thrilled to partner with Al Ahli Holding Group on this exciting project. 20th Century Fox World, Dubai will provide an ongoing platform for immersive brand engagement with our consumers from around the world, including key international markets of Europe, Russia and China,” said Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products senior vice president of global live and location based entertainment Greg Lombardo.
“The synergy created by AAHG’s partnership with Fox will enable 20th Century Fox World, Dubai to offer the consumers in the Middle East and global tourists visiting Dubai to experience world-class facilities with unique attractions and retail outlets that will take themed entertainment to a different level,” said AAHG director of investment and strategy Manoj Aheeray.
20th Century Fox World Dubai is slated to open in 2018, design and production services are being provided by Rethink Leisure & Entertainment.
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
