Dubai’s Wafi Group has set up ‍a ‍joint venture with Adrian Cheng, ​the former CEO of Hong Kong ⁠developer New World Development, to bring anime-themed ⁠Chinese brands and entertainment ‌to the Wafi City complex from next year.

The ⁠venture with Cheng's new investment firm, ALMAD, called Wafi Anime 11, will roll out exhibitions ⁠and pop-ups and introduce ​a private members’ club for high-net-worth clients across the ‍Middle East and North Africa, ​the companies said on Thursday.

The Wafi City complex includes a mall, hotels, restaurants and residences.

Cheng, scion of one of Hong Kong's richest families, launched investment firm ALMAD this year to focus on digital assets and emerging markets.

Dubai ⁠welcomed about 824,000 ‌Chinese visitors in 2024, up 31% from a year earlier, ‌according to ⁠official data.

(Reporting by Roushni Nair in ⁠Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)