Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Belgium-based WHYFIVE, a global consumer insights and strategy consultancy, has announced the opening of its new regional office in Riyadh, marking a significant milestone in its international expansion.
WHYFIVE’s expansion in Saudi Arabia has been supported by AstroLabs, the Gulf’s leading business expansion platform.
This strategic development will strengthen WHYFIVE’s ability to respond quickly to market demands, enabling businesses to enhance and personalize marketing initiatives, optimize customer value journeys, and ultimately drive sustainable growth.
“WHYFIVE’s expansion aims to empower Saudi businesses through advanced localization, supporting the ambitions of Vision 2030. With a science-backed, cross-cultural, and impact-driven approach, WHYFIVE is redefining business evolution, offering tailored strategies to navigate digital transformation and achieve measurable growth in this key market,” said Alex Nicholls, Director of Expansion at AstroLabs.
Since its founding, WHYFIVE has worked with global and regional clients to uncover the “why” behind behavior, translating data into insights and insights into strategic impact that drives brand and business decisions.
In response to increasing demand from Saudi-based clients for highly tailored and locally relevant strategies, WHYFIVE is introducing a dedicated offering under its IMPACT advisory division. This new model positions WHYFIVE not only as an insights partner but also as a strategic driver for success, collaborating with brands and agencies to bridge the gap between research and real-world execution.
Tom Meere, Founder and Managing Partner at WHYFIVE, stated: “With our new office in Riyadh, we’re building a bridge between global insight excellence and the unique momentum of the Saudi market and wider GCC. Our core mission has always been to uncover the ‘why’ behind human behavior, and now, we’re tailoring our methods and tools to help brands in this dynamic region turn that understanding into real, strategic impact.”
Koen De Rijcke, Partner and Managing Director – KSA, added: “Establishing our presence in Riyadh enables us to be closer to the audiences our clients serve, bringing deeper cultural understanding and sharper local context to every engagement. Combined with our global research standards, this proximity allows us to help organizations make smarter, more human decisions grounded in what people truly think, feel, and do.”
Ahmed Sulaye, Executive Director of WHYFIVE MENA, stated: “WHYFIVE has maintained long-standing partnerships with Saudi-based clients and brands, and our expansion into the Kingdom is a natural progression driven by consistent demand for tailored, insight-led solutions. Through our growing IMPACT advisory offering, we continue to support clients not only with robust research but also with strategic interpretation and application of insights that inform meaningful decisions.”
WHYFIVE has a strong presence in the MENA region, with established offices in Dubai and Doha serving a diverse range of clients across industries. The addition of Riyadh as its third regional office underscores the firm’s commitment to expanding its MENA footprint and collaborating even more closely with clients in this dynamic, fast-evolving market.
This expansion reflects WHYFIVE’s commitment to delivering deeper, actionable consumer understanding to brands and organizations across the Middle East through both its core research expertise and its growing IMPACT consulting offering.
About WHYFIVE
WHYFIVE is a consumer insights and strategy consultancy dedicated to helping organizations understand the “why” behind decisions, behaviour, and experience.
Its human-centered approach turns research into clarity and strategy into action.
Learn more at www.whyfive.com.
About AstroLabs
AstroLabs is the leading business expansion platform in the Gulf, supporting high-growth companies to set up, operate, and achieve full market integration in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
With over a decade of experience and a network of 10,000+ decision-makers, we’ve helped 1,800+ companies successfully enter, scale, and embed themselves within the region’s fastest-growing economies.
In partnership with government entities across Saudi Arabia and key global markets, we run strategic programs that accelerate market access, build foundational industries, and support regional visions like Saudi Vision 2030. For more information on AstroLabs, visit https://astrolabs.com/
