Market entry strategies in the Middle East: unveiling the sponsorship strategy

Abstract

The international entry mode strategies literature presents limited findings for the Middle East, particularly for Arab countries and the Gulf Cooperating Council Countries. Using a qualitative approach to understand the market entry strategies of multinational corporations, it is evident that the traditional entry modes are not the only form of entry strategy for MNCs in the Middle East. Semi-structured interviews were used to analyze data primary data collected from senior managers in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Findings show that in addition to traditional entry modes, Multinational companies have developed an extra approach to entering Middle Eastern markets by forming joint ventures with individuals rather than with corporations. We label this entry mode as ‘sponsorship’ strategy. Implications for research and practice are offered.