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Project Overview
Entering a market without losing the brand
Founded in London in 2002, Zuma is a global culinary icon known for modern Japanese cuisine, elevated atmosphere and a dining experience recognised the same way in every city it operates in.
Expansion into Saudi Arabia created a precise problem. The brand needed an Arabic presence a local guest reads as native, without losing the minimalism the global identity depends on.
Working with MJS Holding, Storm® was entrusted with the Arabic identity. The approach was interpretation rather than translation, because a translated wordmark is a different brand wearing the same name.
Project Details
Client
MJS Holding
Sector
Hospitality · Fine Dining
Location
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Services
Brand Localization · Arabic Brand Identity · Cultural Brand Adaptation · Brand Collaterals
Engagement
Website
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The Challenge
Translation is not localization
A luxury wordmark carries its value in proportion, weight and restraint. Set the same name in an Arabic typeface and almost none of that survives, because the two scripts do not behave the same way.
The risk runs both directions. Too literal and the Arabic reads as a label rather than a brand. Too free and the guest no longer recognises the international name they came for.
Zuma is also a brand with global standards. Whatever was produced in Riyadh had to be defensible to a brand team in London judging it against every other market.
WHAT WE DID
- Drew an Arabic logotype as an original mark rather than a typeset translation
- Matched the minimalist proportion and weight of the global identity
- Held the refinement the brand depends on across both scripts
- Adapted the wider visual system so bilingual application never looks assembled
- Produced brand collaterals to the same standard as the international market
- Set the Arabic identity so it can be applied consistently as the market grows
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Storm 4D Method®
Storm 4D Method®
1/4 Discover
Studied the global identity closely enough to understand what actually carries its value, which is proportion and restraint rather than the letterforms themselves.
2/4 Define
Set the principle before drawing: interpretation, not translation, so the Arabic mark would be designed to the same brief as the original rather than derived from it.
3/4 Design
Drew an Arabic logotype mirroring the minimalist elegance of the global mark, holding visual harmony and contemporary tone across two scripts.
4/4 Deliver
Extended the adaptation into the wider system and collateral, so the Riyadh market reads as the same brand rather than a licensed version of it.
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Scope of Work
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Client Testimonial
MJS Investment
Zuma
Luxury Japanese dining, redefined with Arabic elegance.
Scope of work
Brand Localization / Brand Identity Adaptation / Brand Collaterals
Sector
Hospitality
Location
Saudi Arabia
Website
Read More
Brief / Client
Originally founded in London in 2002, Zuma is a global culinary icon, known for its modern Japanese cuisine, elevated ambience, and innovative dining experience. With its expansion into Saudi Arabia, Zuma needed a localized brand presence that would maintain its signature sophistication while embracing cultural authenticity.
In partnership with MJS Holding, STORM Design Studio was entrusted to Arabize the brand with thoughtful precision—preserving its luxury appeal while making it resonate with Saudi sensibilities.
Solution
Our approach was grounded in strategic cultural adaptation. We developed an Arabic logo that mirrored Zuma’s minimalist elegance, ensuring that the visual translation upheld the brand’s refined identity.
Rather than a direct translation, we engaged in a design-led reinterpretation—maintaining the visual harmony and contemporary tone of the original while integrating the graceful flow of Arabic typography. This visual fusion captured the global essence of Zuma and the local rhythm of Riyadh’s upscale dining scene.
Impact
The Arabized identity launched Zuma Riyadh with a seamless, culturally resonant brand presence. The logo served as a visual bridge between worlds—sophisticated yet familiar, global yet rooted. This elegant localization reinforced Zuma’s prestige while deepening its connection with the Saudi market.
