🇦🇪 Dubai’s Pop Mart Boom
Google searches for “Big Into Energy” Labubu soar across UAE
Published 27 May 2025
Built by Chase Burns BroderickSince Pop Mart’s tie-dyed Big Into Energy Labubus landed on 25 April, mall queues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have spiraled into a full-blown regional craze. Google Trends now shows “Labubu” searches erupting across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, with Saudi interest peaking in mid-May. And in the past 48 hours the frenzy has entered a new phase: Deliveroo’s 4 pm daily blind-box drop in Abu Dhabi beams a limited-edition figure to your door for AED 280, no queue required, allegedly.
Missed the backstory—how Dubai retailer The Little Things turned launch-day lines into a Gulf-wide pipeline of 90-minute sell-outs and 15-minute Noon Minutes couriers? Catch up here: Dubai’s Pop Mart Boom: How The Little Things Turned Labubu Hype into a Gulf-Wide Collectibles Pipeline.
Google Trends: How Dubai Fell in Love with “Big Into Energy”
When Pop Mart’s tie-dyed Big Into Energy Labubu series hit shelves on 25 April 2025, Google searches for “Labubu” in the Gulf shot up almost overnight. In the UAE, interest climbed first in Dubai, then Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, tracking the locations of The Little Things’ flagship stores and the earliest mall queues.
The ripple soon crossed the border: Saudi Arabia’s search volume peaked during the week of 18 May, led by Riyadh province, followed by the Eastern Province and Mecca. In other words, what began as a Dubai-centric launch became a region-wide hunt within three weeks—well before Deliveroo and Beau Burger unlocked Abu Dhabi’s door-step drops this week.
Takeaway: Google’s data confirms the hype is no longer a local fad but a multi-city, multi-country surge—setting the stage for instant-delivery apps to capitalize on pent-up demand.
A repost of a Dubai collector on @labubu.ae lifts an “Exciting Macaron” Labubu gift box on Instagram, urging Gulf fans to DM before the last few sets vanish.
Deliveroo’s 4 PM Drop
Abu Dhabi collectors just got the easiest play yet: Deliveroo now pushes a “limited-edition Labubu blind-box” drop live every day at exactly 4 PM. The boxes list from AED 280—undercutting Dubai’s Noon Minutes and Careem listings—and arrive straight to your door, no mall queue or courier meetup required.
How it works
Open the Deliveroo UAE app (or deliveroo.ae) a few minutes before 4 PM.
Watch for the Labubu banner under “Exclusives.”
Tap “Add to basket,” check out, and track the rider in real time.
Quantities reset each afternoon and vanish quickly, so have your payment details ready. Between the price edge (AED 280 vs the AED 300 norm) and couch-level convenience, this drop is fast becoming the capital’s most reliable way to snag a Labubu without leaving home.