# Thursday's MENA Expansion: A Bold Bet on Offline Dating's Global Viability > By DII Community Desk | Published: 2025-05-20T00:00:00+00:00 | Section: Community & Directory | Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/thursday-expands-mena-dubai-launch | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) Thursday targets 20,000 monthly attendees in MENA by 2025. Can offline dating thrive beyond Western markets? ## Key points - London-based dating app Thursday sold nearly 800 tickets for its initial Dubai event in mid-January, marking its expansion into the Middle East and North Africa. - Thursday aims to operate across eight MENA cities by the end of 2025 and target 20,000 monthly event attendees across the region. - The startup raised 7 million US dollars in Series A funding in 2022 and currently hosts weekly offline singles events in London, New York, and Los Angeles. - Eventbrite data from 2024 revealed a 47 percent year-on-year increase in singles dating event listings across major United States and United Kingdom cities. ## Article - Thursday has sold nearly 800 tickets for its inaugural Dubai event in mid-January, marking its first Middle East expansion - The London-based dating startup plans to operate across eight MENA cities by end of 2025, targeting 20,000 monthly attendees region-wide - Eventbrite data from 2024 showed a 47% year-on-year increase in dating event listings across major US and UK cities - Thursday raised $7M in Series A funding in 2022 and currently runs events in London, New York, and Los Angeles Thursday's aggressive push into the Middle East and North Africa represents the clearest test yet of whether offline dating formats can escape their Western comfort zone. The startup's plan to reach 20,000 monthly attendees across eight MENA cities by year-end sounds ambitious for a company that's spent three years building its UK base. But the move comes as dating app fatigue reaches crisis levels and operators scramble for alternatives to the swipe-based models that users increasingly resent. People socialising at evening event The company's format is deliberately simple: singles buy tickets, show up at bars and clubs on Thursdays, and meet face-to-face without apps mediating every interaction. That straightforward proposition has worked in London, New York, and Los Angeles, where permissive social norms and high-density urban populations create ideal conditions. MENA markets offer none of those guarantees. Dubai provides certain structural advantages as a beachhead market. The emirate hosts a large transient expat population familiar with Western dating culture, disposable income to support ticket sales, and a relatively liberal environment compared to neighbouring states. The company plans to expand from there into [Cairo, Riyadh, Casablanca, and Marrakech](https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ34MuliMwf/), where the operational complexity increases exponentially. ### Navigating cultural and regulatory constraints Dating apps already operate in murky legal territory across much of MENA. Saudi Arabia technically prohibits dating platforms, though enforcement proves inconsistent and VPN adoption is widespread. Egypt has launched periodic crackdowns over morality concerns, whilst Morocco permits dating apps but maintains laws criminalising extramarital sex. > Physical venues mean visible enforcement opportunities, alcohol licensing considerations, and the need for local partnerships that understand how to operate within cultural red lines. Thursday's in-person events present distinct risks compared to apps. A physical venue creates enforcement opportunities that don't exist for digital platforms. The company must navigate alcohol licensing where applicable, venue partnerships that understand local sensitivities, and the visibility that comes with putting unmarried singles in rooms together. Thursday has not disclosed venue partners or its strategy for markets where bars and nightclubs face heavy regulation or outright prohibition. Urban nightlife and social venues The business model's reliance on ticket revenue rather than subscriptions means Thursday needs consistent attendance or the economics collapse quickly. Scaling events requires local teams who understand venue landscapes, influencer ecosystems, and regulatory tripwires. That's expensive overhead before a single ticket sells, and the company has not disclosed current revenue or profitability since its $7M Series A round in 2022. ### Dating app fatigue reaches critical mass Thursday's expansion arrives as dating app operators confront declining engagement they can no longer ignore. [Match Group](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/match-group-eliminates-chief-operating-officer) has acknowledged falling payer conversion in multiple earnings calls. Bumble spent much of 2024 attempting to reinvent its core product after admitting it had gone stale. Internal data from multiple operators, shared at industry conferences throughout 2024, shows time spent per session declining and user complaints about endless swiping rising. Thursday positions itself as the solution: one night weekly, one city, real humans in rooms together. Whether that premise translates outside Western metros remains unproven. > If Thursday can pull off Cairo or Riyadh, that suggests the format has legs beyond urban millennials who can afford £20 tickets. Compare Thursday's approach to how dating apps entered MENA. Tinder and [Bumble](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/bumble-lawsuit-over-preventable-data-breach) launched with minimal localisation, relying on existing infrastructure and remote moderation. They face content challenges and occasional government pushback, but operational complexity stays manageable. Thursday must negotiate with venues, hire local event staff, manage physical logistics, and convince singles to commit to specific nights at specific locations whilst maintaining its carefully curated brand. ### Testing the offline-first thesis at scale Thursday isn't alone in betting on in-person dating. Eventbrite data from 2024 showed a 47% year-on-year increase in dating event listings across major US and UK cities. Startups like Posh and Flok have raised seed rounds on similar premises, whilst Bumble launched IRL events in 2023 and Match Group has quietly tested singles events in select markets. Modern city nightlife and social scene But these experiments remain concentrated in London, New York, and Los Angeles. Proving the model works in culturally conservative or logistically complex markets would legitimise offline dating as more than niche programming for affluent urban millennials. Success in Cairo or Riyadh would signal the format has genuine export potential. The 20,000 monthly attendees target deserves scrutiny. Thursday hasn't disclosed current attendance for existing markets, making it difficult to assess whether the MENA goal proves realistic. The company would need roughly 2,500 attendees per city monthly across eight cities. That's achievable if [Dubai alone delivers 800+ per event and runs weekly](https://events.getthursday.com/dubai/), but requires the other seven markets to ramp quickly. ### Demographics and pricing questions loom Thursday's expansion raises questions about demographic targeting it hasn't addressed. [Dubai's expat community](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQoj4AGAttp/) skews heavily male in certain sectors, and the city's wealth concentration suggests pricing strategies that work in London may need adjustment. The company has not disclosed MENA ticket pricing or whether it plans income-tiered access to address market variations. What happens next hinges on February and March results. If Thursday fills venues consistently in Dubai and signs partnerships in at least two additional MENA cities by mid-2025, the expansion gains credibility. If early events underperform or cultural pushback emerges, the company must recalibrate quickly. Event businesses operate on thin margins with little room for sustained losses. For dating operators watching from the sidelines, Thursday's MENA test will answer whether offline dating can become a global category or remains a Western phenomenon with limited export potential. The next six months will prove whether this ambitious timeline reflects genuine market opportunity or overconfidence about how easily Western dating formats transplant to fundamentally different social contexts. - Watch February and March attendance figures from Dubai closely — they'll signal whether Thursday can achieve the density needed to make event economics work in MENA markets with different social dynamics - Venue partnerships announcements in Cairo, Riyadh, or other conservative markets will reveal whether Thursday can navigate cultural and regulatory constraints that have limited Western dating formats - Pricing strategy and demographic targeting will determine if the model extends beyond affluent expats to local populations, which ultimately decides whether this becomes a scalable regional business or remains a niche expat offering ## Key takeaways - Physical dating events require localised operations, alcohol licensing, and venue partnerships, presenting greater compliance risks in conservative MENA markets than purely digital apps. - If Thursday successfully monetises offline events in cities like Riyadh and Cairo, it will provide a viable blueprint for operators seeking alternatives to declining app engagement. - Event-based models depend on consistent ticket sales and high venue density, making regional scaling financially risky without clear demographic pricing strategies. ## FAQ ### What is Thursday's expansion plan in the MENA region? Thursday plans to launch offline dating events across eight MENA cities by the end of 2025, aiming for 20,000 monthly attendees region-wide starting with Dubai. ### How much funding has Thursday raised? Thursday raised 7 million US dollars in a Series A funding round in 2022. ### Which cities does Thursday currently operate in? Thursday currently runs offline singles events in London, New York, and Los Angeles. --- Canonical: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/thursday-expands-mena-dubai-launch Citation: "Dating Industry Insights" (https://www.datingindustryinsights.com)