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ITP Media Group Secures Major Acquisition Of APAC's Heart Media Group
(MENAFN- Mid-East Info) ITP Media Group secures major acquisition of APAC's Heart Media Group sparking international expansion across Asia
The landmark deal in the 40-year history of the Middle East-headquartered business establishes one of the world's leading independently-owned media groups – with the company eyeing further international growth. UAE, SINGAPORE & MALAYSIA - September, 2026 – ITP Media Group, one of the largest media companies in the Middle East, today announced the acquisition of Singapore-headquartered Heart Media Group, a leading luxury and lifestyle media house. The combined business will now operate in markets home to more than 2 billion people, connecting brands with affluent consumers across the GCC, India and Asia-Pacific. With the addition of Heart Media Group's operations, ITP Media Group expands to three new international markets: Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Heart Media brands and teams will operate under the ITP Media name, with integration phased to protect editorial identity, client relationships and the trust of audiences across Asia. It builds on ITP Media Group's existing operations in India, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, USA and Qatar. South East Asia represents one of the fastest-growing global markets for the media and entertainment industry, expanding at 6% per year with some regional markets up to 8.4% (PwC Global E&M Outlook). ITP Media Group's investment aligns with a growing demand amongst wealthy audiences in these regions, increasingly looking for media and luxury brands that serve their interests. Hong Kong has overtaken Switzerland as the top global hub for cross-border wealth (BCG 2026 Global Wealth Report), while there are now more than 4,000 single-family offices across Hong Kong and Singapore, quadrupling over the past five years. Meanwhile, Malaysia is anticipated to see a 20% climb in ultra-high-net-worth individuals over the next five years (Knight Frank – The Wealth Report 2026). The addition of Heart Media's luxury publications directly caters to these audiences and provides ITP Media Group with direct access to new customers and affluent audiences across the region. The group has also earmarked further investment to support the acquisition, including bolstering existing teams, supporting local creative economies and creating new job opportunities across editorial, digital, design and live events. These teams will support the planned roll-out of cross-border digital media, industry events, cutting-edge gaming tournaments, brand activations and premier live sporting experiences. Through the combined group, luxury brands will have access to a streamlined cross-border platform, enabling advertising and sponsorship opportunities that connect with high-net-worth audiences across multiple markets. ITP Media Group CEO, Ali Akawi, said:“At its core, ITP Media Group has always been about creating powerful content that connects people. As we look forward, our roadmap is focused on massive global scale. We are committed to a multi-year strategy of expansion and targeted acquisitions to build a media ecosystem capable of reaching billions worldwide. The acquisition of Heart Media Group strengthens our foundation as we scale our platforms, embrace new media technologies and bring world-class storytelling to a truly global audience.” -p decoding="async" class="CToWUd aligncenter" title="OLIVIER BURLOT HEADSHOT" src="#" alt="OLIVIER BURLOT HEADSHOT" width="460" data-bit="iit" /> Image – Olivier Burlot, Heart Media Group Founder Wilson Lim will continue, now as Managing Director of ITP Media (Singapore) & ITP Media (Malaysia) with the support of his current operational, sales and editorial teams, overseeing all executive and management duties across the Singapore and Malaysia offices. ITP's latest acquisition follows the recent announcement of a 10-year agreement with Time Out to operate Time Out Hong Kong and Time Out Singapore. Since 1987, ITP Media Group has grown from a single B2B brand with five staff, to a multinational business with offices across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, serving a monthly audience of over 200 million people. With its latest acquisition, ITP Media Group now has a physical presence in 10 countries with a portfolio of 90 brands. Underpinning ITP Media Group's sustainable growth is the presence of long-serving leaders, including CEO Ali Akawi, who first joined the business in 2000 before rising through the ranks to lead the company in 2017. Committing to the company's digital transformation and geographic diversification, under Akawi's leadership the business has evolved into a multi-channel media powerhouse, launching high-growth divisions including ITP Live for influencer marketing, ITP Gaming for gaming and esports, and ITP Sport for sports media and live entertainment. Through its publications, events and partnerships ITP has collaborated with the world's biggest stars: from sporting legends such as Mo Salah and Lewis Hamilton; to music icons like Nancy Ajram and Amr Diab; from Hollywood names such as Idris Elba and Nicole Kidman; to Bollywood's most celebrated like Priyanka Chopra. Leadership commentary: “ITP Media Group has spent four decades building the GCC's most influential media group, while for over 25 years Heart has done the same across Asia Pacific – earning genuine authority and trust with the region's most discerning audiences. Bringing the two together creates a media corridor between two of the fastest-growing markets on earth. Integrating their well-established luxury portfolio with ours is a natural first step, creating a unique proposition for both our audiences and clients. This corridor is designed to scale dynamically, opening up cross-regional access for ITP's other core industries, from hospitality, trade, construction and sports to everything in between. For the brands and clients we serve, it means a single partner who can move a story, a campaign or an idea seamlessly between Dubai, Singapore and the global stage.”
- Ali Akawi, Chief Executive Officer, ITP Media Group “As an independently owned media group, our scale has been built on trust, not acquisition for its own sake – this is a rare combination where the logic is unarguable. The same high-net-worth consumer now moves between Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong. Together we can offer luxury brands a single, streamlined route to affluent audiences across both regions – spanning almost 100 brands and 10 markets – with the editorial credibility and on-the-ground relationships this audience demands. It is a proposition no one else in either region can currently match.” - Marne Schwartz, Managing Director, ITP Media Group “For our audience, our brands and our clients across Asia, this is about momentum, not disruption. The titles, the teams and the relationships that define Heart Media continue – now backed by the resources of a major international group. Our clients gain a direct line into the GCC's affluent audiences and the media they partner with gain a stage that spans two continents. It is an exciting moment for the wider market in this region.” - Wilson Lim, Managing Director, Heart Media Group About ITP Media Group: ITP Media Group is a privately owned media business and one of the world's most diversified media houses, with a portfolio spanning publishing, influencer marketing, live events and creative communications solutions. The company is led by Chief Executive Officer Ali Akawi. Founded in 1987, ITP operates more than 90 media brands and over 200 live events annually from offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, India and the UK. Across a vast network of digital, social, audio, video, print and events platforms, ITP Media Group reaches a monthly global audience in excess of 200 million. ITP Media Group's current portfolio includes leading regional and international brands across luxury, business, lifestyle, hospitality, sport, gaming, entertainment and events, including ahlan, Arabian Business, Boutique Hotelier, Caterer Middle East, Commercial Interior Design, Construction Week, Hotelier Middle East, Out Of Office and WatchPro, while the company also operates Complex, Cosmopolitan, Dazed, Esquire, Grazia, Harper's Bazaar, ICON, Spartan, Time Out and Tough Mudder in the Middle East. In September 2026, ITP acquired luxury and lifestyle media house Heart Media Group, bolstering ITP's presence to Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. This added brands to the Group portfolio including Grazia, Esquire, ELLE, ELLE Men, LUXUO, Yacht Style, Men's Folio, WOW (World of Watches) and NOBLE.
The landmark deal in the 40-year history of the Middle East-headquartered business establishes one of the world's leading independently-owned media groups – with the company eyeing further international growth. UAE, SINGAPORE & MALAYSIA - September, 2026 – ITP Media Group, one of the largest media companies in the Middle East, today announced the acquisition of Singapore-headquartered Heart Media Group, a leading luxury and lifestyle media house. The combined business will now operate in markets home to more than 2 billion people, connecting brands with affluent consumers across the GCC, India and Asia-Pacific. With the addition of Heart Media Group's operations, ITP Media Group expands to three new international markets: Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Heart Media brands and teams will operate under the ITP Media name, with integration phased to protect editorial identity, client relationships and the trust of audiences across Asia. It builds on ITP Media Group's existing operations in India, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, USA and Qatar. South East Asia represents one of the fastest-growing global markets for the media and entertainment industry, expanding at 6% per year with some regional markets up to 8.4% (PwC Global E&M Outlook). ITP Media Group's investment aligns with a growing demand amongst wealthy audiences in these regions, increasingly looking for media and luxury brands that serve their interests. Hong Kong has overtaken Switzerland as the top global hub for cross-border wealth (BCG 2026 Global Wealth Report), while there are now more than 4,000 single-family offices across Hong Kong and Singapore, quadrupling over the past five years. Meanwhile, Malaysia is anticipated to see a 20% climb in ultra-high-net-worth individuals over the next five years (Knight Frank – The Wealth Report 2026). The addition of Heart Media's luxury publications directly caters to these audiences and provides ITP Media Group with direct access to new customers and affluent audiences across the region. The group has also earmarked further investment to support the acquisition, including bolstering existing teams, supporting local creative economies and creating new job opportunities across editorial, digital, design and live events. These teams will support the planned roll-out of cross-border digital media, industry events, cutting-edge gaming tournaments, brand activations and premier live sporting experiences. Through the combined group, luxury brands will have access to a streamlined cross-border platform, enabling advertising and sponsorship opportunities that connect with high-net-worth audiences across multiple markets. ITP Media Group CEO, Ali Akawi, said:“At its core, ITP Media Group has always been about creating powerful content that connects people. As we look forward, our roadmap is focused on massive global scale. We are committed to a multi-year strategy of expansion and targeted acquisitions to build a media ecosystem capable of reaching billions worldwide. The acquisition of Heart Media Group strengthens our foundation as we scale our platforms, embrace new media technologies and bring world-class storytelling to a truly global audience.” -p decoding="async" class="CToWUd aligncenter" title="OLIVIER BURLOT HEADSHOT" src="#" alt="OLIVIER BURLOT HEADSHOT" width="460" data-bit="iit" /> Image – Olivier Burlot, Heart Media Group Founder Wilson Lim will continue, now as Managing Director of ITP Media (Singapore) & ITP Media (Malaysia) with the support of his current operational, sales and editorial teams, overseeing all executive and management duties across the Singapore and Malaysia offices. ITP's latest acquisition follows the recent announcement of a 10-year agreement with Time Out to operate Time Out Hong Kong and Time Out Singapore. Since 1987, ITP Media Group has grown from a single B2B brand with five staff, to a multinational business with offices across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, serving a monthly audience of over 200 million people. With its latest acquisition, ITP Media Group now has a physical presence in 10 countries with a portfolio of 90 brands. Underpinning ITP Media Group's sustainable growth is the presence of long-serving leaders, including CEO Ali Akawi, who first joined the business in 2000 before rising through the ranks to lead the company in 2017. Committing to the company's digital transformation and geographic diversification, under Akawi's leadership the business has evolved into a multi-channel media powerhouse, launching high-growth divisions including ITP Live for influencer marketing, ITP Gaming for gaming and esports, and ITP Sport for sports media and live entertainment. Through its publications, events and partnerships ITP has collaborated with the world's biggest stars: from sporting legends such as Mo Salah and Lewis Hamilton; to music icons like Nancy Ajram and Amr Diab; from Hollywood names such as Idris Elba and Nicole Kidman; to Bollywood's most celebrated like Priyanka Chopra. Leadership commentary: “ITP Media Group has spent four decades building the GCC's most influential media group, while for over 25 years Heart has done the same across Asia Pacific – earning genuine authority and trust with the region's most discerning audiences. Bringing the two together creates a media corridor between two of the fastest-growing markets on earth. Integrating their well-established luxury portfolio with ours is a natural first step, creating a unique proposition for both our audiences and clients. This corridor is designed to scale dynamically, opening up cross-regional access for ITP's other core industries, from hospitality, trade, construction and sports to everything in between. For the brands and clients we serve, it means a single partner who can move a story, a campaign or an idea seamlessly between Dubai, Singapore and the global stage.”
- Ali Akawi, Chief Executive Officer, ITP Media Group “As an independently owned media group, our scale has been built on trust, not acquisition for its own sake – this is a rare combination where the logic is unarguable. The same high-net-worth consumer now moves between Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong. Together we can offer luxury brands a single, streamlined route to affluent audiences across both regions – spanning almost 100 brands and 10 markets – with the editorial credibility and on-the-ground relationships this audience demands. It is a proposition no one else in either region can currently match.” - Marne Schwartz, Managing Director, ITP Media Group “For our audience, our brands and our clients across Asia, this is about momentum, not disruption. The titles, the teams and the relationships that define Heart Media continue – now backed by the resources of a major international group. Our clients gain a direct line into the GCC's affluent audiences and the media they partner with gain a stage that spans two continents. It is an exciting moment for the wider market in this region.” - Wilson Lim, Managing Director, Heart Media Group About ITP Media Group: ITP Media Group is a privately owned media business and one of the world's most diversified media houses, with a portfolio spanning publishing, influencer marketing, live events and creative communications solutions. The company is led by Chief Executive Officer Ali Akawi. Founded in 1987, ITP operates more than 90 media brands and over 200 live events annually from offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, India and the UK. Across a vast network of digital, social, audio, video, print and events platforms, ITP Media Group reaches a monthly global audience in excess of 200 million. ITP Media Group's current portfolio includes leading regional and international brands across luxury, business, lifestyle, hospitality, sport, gaming, entertainment and events, including ahlan, Arabian Business, Boutique Hotelier, Caterer Middle East, Commercial Interior Design, Construction Week, Hotelier Middle East, Out Of Office and WatchPro, while the company also operates Complex, Cosmopolitan, Dazed, Esquire, Grazia, Harper's Bazaar, ICON, Spartan, Time Out and Tough Mudder in the Middle East. In September 2026, ITP acquired luxury and lifestyle media house Heart Media Group, bolstering ITP's presence to Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. This added brands to the Group portfolio including Grazia, Esquire, ELLE, ELLE Men, LUXUO, Yacht Style, Men's Folio, WOW (World of Watches) and NOBLE.
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