Khaled El Masry Is Changing the Face of Digital Marketing in the Middle East
For 23-year old junior swimmer Khaled El Masry, his top career goal has always been to become one of the top swimmers in Egypt and the UAE. When he moved to Dubai in 2016, he never expected that he would create a business that would change not just his life, but the entire digital marketing industry.
Four years later, Khaled has proven that he can blow the competition out of the water, both inside and outside the pool. He is the co-founder of 199X Digital, a rising digital production, and branding agency that operates both in the GCC and Egypt. He also created Awkward Holdings, a network that manages three agencies, including his 199x Digital, as well as an Egyptian-based athleisure brand, Kijaqo.
Growing up with the hustle culture
Khaled El Masry will be the first person to describe himself as a hustler. From his swimming career to being at the helm of three thriving brands, Khaled has always kept the same spirit; discipline, patience, and tenacity.
“Being an athlete for almost all my life taught me how to be disciplined and dedicated. I had to quickly make the shift to becoming a self-motivated person. Whether it’s the swimming or the entrepreneurial side of my life, they both require the same attributes in order to succeed,” he comments.
Creating a Gen Z movement
Khaled’s first brand, 199x, is entirely dedicated to the ideals of being young and focused. After exploring his swimming career for many years, competing in different parts of the world including Spain, Greece, and Lebanon, Khaled realized there was something missing in the youth culture around the world.
“Youth empowerment,” he declares. “ Empowering young people to become team players and to help them kick start their careers. I created 199X as a tribute to the 90s. We are the generation of digital transformation. It belongs to us.”
“There are so many big agencies in the region handling the biggest accounts, but young people are missing in that action. I wanted to create an agency like no other.”
Harnessing a digital transformation
199x was created as a representation of youth and the power of Generation Z.
“The concept of 199X is different, we are all very young and we represent generation Z, which is the digital age,” Khaled comments. “We only hire people that are born in the 90s, because we believe in our generation and what we are capable of.”
This radical approach has paid off in massive ways for Khaled and his team. 199X has grown swiftly into one of the biggest digital marketing agencies in the middle east, with active operations in two countries. Khaled credits this success to what he terms ‘the Gucci quality’
“We have built a trusted name in the market because we offer the Gucci quality while having the savviest and youngest team to back up our results. We work closely with some of the biggest businesses from all around the world, helping them elevate their social and digital presence.”
Diversifying the brand
In October 2020, Khaled El Masry launched his e-commerce athleisure brand, Kijaqo to massive acclaim and reception.
“At Kijaqo, we offer premium Egyptian cotton in the form of athleisure wear. The idea was to take what I have learned in marketing, through the industry and my work with the agency, and start a strong e-commerce platform.”
The brand launched with a collection of hoodies and tracksuits in a range of colors which quickly became sold out.
Looking to the Future
For Khaled, this is only the starting point. He plans to expand his footprints far beyond the Middle East region, both with Kijaqo and 199x.
“In the next year, I would like to expand my office in Egypt and grow the team in Dubai. We also want to start exploring other countries in the world. For Kijaqo, we are going to start shipping worldwide. The plan is to be known all over the world and style models in major fashion shows.”
