Jotun’s long-standing presence in the UAE and its 2026 Colour Design Collection underline the value of long-term thinking
Relevance Is Built Through Time and Trust
In the Middle East, relevance is rarely achieved through novelty. It is built through time, presence, and consistency. For instance, in markets like the UAE, trust accumulates gradually, brands are evaluated not just on what they say today, but on how they have shown up over decades. Consistency, cultural understanding, and long-term commitment matter far more than short term visibility.
Consumers are perceptive. They distinguish quickly between brands that are temporarily active and those that are genuinely embedded in the market. This is particularly evident in sectors connected to the home, where decisions are rarely impulsive. Homes are conceived as lasting spaces that reflect identity, memory, and continuity. As a result, people tend to gravitate toward guidance that feels thoughtful, grounded, and informed by lived experience rather than by passing global trends.
Foresight Over Trends
This is where foresight led approaches become meaningful. Tools such as colour forecasting are often misunderstood as trend prediction exercises. In reality, when done responsibly, they are the outcome of long observation and cultural listening. They reflect how lifestyles are shifting, how values are evolving, and how people want their spaces to support their everyday lives over time.
Jotun’s long standing presence in the UAE has shaped this perspective. More than five decades in the country have provided the opportunity to observe how global influences are adapted locally, how traditions continue to inform contemporary design, and how climate and culture influence the way people use and experience their homes. This depth of understanding cannot be fast tracked. It is built through continuity and sustained engagement with the market.
Recent colour directions illustrate this mindset rather than define it. For instance, Soulful Spaces, Jotun’s 2026 Colour Design Collection, is a source of inspiration and a ready-made palette, drawing on long-observed patterns in how people across the country relate to their interiors. There is a growing appreciation for deeper, more layered tones that speak to heritage and memory. At the same time, there is a noticeable shift toward softer, calmer palettes that respond to the pace of modern urban life. Alongside this sits a renewed interest in warmth, nature, and lived in character. These are not isolated aesthetic preferences. They reflect broader cultural conversations about wellbeing, identity, and how homes function as spaces of refuge and connection.
Staying Relevant Without Chasing Attention
What matters is not the colours themselves, but what they signal. They point to a market that values depth over display and meaning over immediacy. This is evident in the growing appreciation for colours that age well, palettes that adapt to changing life stages, and design decisions that prioritise emotional comfort. Recognising these shifts requires proximity to the market and a willingness to observe before acting. It also requires restraint. In the UAE, relevance often comes from knowing when not to overstate, when to allow people the freedom to interpret and personalise rather than prescribe.
Over time, this depth of understanding is what sustains relevance. Jotun’s use of colour forecasting, including the thinking behind Soulful Spaces, its 2026 Colour Design Collection, reflects an approach shaped by long term engagement in the market rather than by seasonal change. By translating accumulated insight into practical guidance, it shows how brands can remain relevant by responding to how people actually live, not by chasing what briefly captures attention. In a market where credibility builds slowly, relevance follows those who are prepared to think and act with patience.
