Contagious Brands Report 2026: the 45 brands people want to spend time with.
Contagious picks 45 brands that win by selling experiences and community, not just products. Two are from Dubai: Bustanica and Xpanceo.
By Contagious · Sep 25, 2026
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Contagious, part of LIONS, has published the Contagious Brands Report 2026: an editorial pick of 45 brands from around the world, from startups to multi-billion-dollar companies, in nine sections. It is a selection, not a ranking. The thread running through it, says Sunil Bajaj, Lead Brand Analyst at Contagious, is that these brands have moved "away from simply manufacturing products or providing services" and towards experiences "that surprise and delight".
Key findings
- Stores are destinations again. Kura Sushi has turned conveyor-belt dining into a game, Gentle Monster's 80-plus stores work as art galleries, and Miniso Land has opened 26 theme park-style stores.
- Ordinary categories can carry magic. Scrub Daddy uses its smiley-faced sponge to make content, and Dubai's Bustanica grows leafy greens in what it calls the world's largest indoor vertical farm, using 95% less water.
- Anyone can be the creator. Brands are putting employees, customers and everyday people in front of the camera for fresher, more distinctive content.
- Gen Z comes to brands that earn fandom. The Gen Z Magnets get young people to come to them, building the relevance others spend fortunes chasing.
- Three AI picks. Dubai's Xpanceo makes smart contact lenses that project digital information into the wearer's vision; Runway is a $5.3bn AI video platform; Zapia is a free AI assistant built for Latin Americans.
- Value is a creative brief. With living costs rising, the Value Champions include Back Market, which sells refurbished electronics for 30–50% less than new.
The nine sections
Destination Designers, Everyday Magic Makers, Product Innovators, Creator Makers, Gen Z Magnets, Worldbuilders, AI Pioneers, Community Builders and Value Champions.
From the Gulf
Two of the 45 are from the UAE, both based in Dubai: Bustanica, in Everyday Magic Makers, and Xpanceo, one of the three AI Pioneers. No Saudi brand made the list.
Why it matters
The report measures brands by time, not reach: "you have to make people want to spend time with you." In Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, where retail, entertainment and destination projects are being built at scale, the destination and community sections read like a brief.
About this report
Published by Contagious (part of LIONS), 25 September 2026. Free with a LIONS account. Read the report on Contagious