Inside the Labubu Craze: How This Toothy Toy Took Over the UAE's Cool Crowd

It’s got sharp teeth, wild hair, and a half-creepy, half-cute grin. It doesn’t speak, it doesn’t move, and it fits in your hand. Still, Labubu — a mischievous figurine from Chinese toy empire Pop Mart — has become the accessory of the moment. From TikTok to boutique shelves, Dubai is deep in a Labubu fever. If it hasn’t hit you yet, it will.

You’ve probably spotted one already — clipped onto a Prada bag at Dubai Mall or casually flexed in an unboxing haul on your feed. Maybe you’ve stood in line at The Little Things, or cracked open a blind box just to chase that elusive rare. No matter how it found you, one thing’s certain: Labubu is everywhere, and this craze isn’t slowing down.

What Exactly Is Labubu?

Think of a forest sprite that walked straight out of a surreal dream — with big, curious eyes, untamed hair, and tiny fanged teeth. Designed by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung as part of The Monsters series, Labubu is the anti-cute toy: odd, expressive, and proudly imperfect. It doesn’t aim to be pretty — it aims to be unforgettable.

Released by Pop Mart, the company fueling Asia’s blind-box boom, Labubu stands out in a sea of polished collectibles. It’s not symmetrical or sweet. It’s strange, raw, and entirely its own thing. And in a digital world obsessed with aesthetics, that’s precisely why people are obsessed.

How Labubu Took Over the UAE

It all escalated in April 2025, when Pop Mart dropped the Big Into Energy Labubu series. Local toy stores were flooded overnight — collectors buying boxes in bulk, hoping to score a rare pull. The Little Things, Pop Mart’s official distributor in the region, saw daily queues wrap around the block. Most stores sold out within days.

Suddenly, Labubu was everywhere — hanging from handbags, stacked into colour-coded displays, starring in TikTok reels. Despite its size, the toy carried serious weight. It became a flex, a cultural currency, a status symbol for the digitally fluent and taste-forward.

Inside the Blind Box Economy

Here’s the catch: you can’t pick your Labubu. Each figurine comes sealed in a blind box — you open it without knowing which design’s inside. It could be a common one. It could be ultra-rare. You’re gambling with each purchase — and collectors are addicted.

Each box retails at AED 79, but rare editions are reselling for AED 350 or more. Full drops vanish in minutes. Labubu’s not just a toy anymore — it’s part lottery, part collectible, part cultural stock market.

TikTok, Careem, and the Viral Push

Much of the hype is thanks to TikTok. Search #labubu or #popmartlabubu and you’ll find ASMR-style unboxings, rare reveals, and collectors showing off entire armies of figurines.

It’s gone so viral that even Careem got involved — launching limited-time Labubu deliveries in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For AED 305, fans could have blind boxes delivered to their door within 20 minutes. The entire run sold out in hours.

Scarcity + instant gratification + digital clout = cultural takeover.

More Than a Toy — It’s a Mirror

Labubu’s success isn’t just about hype. It’s about identity. In a hyper-curated world, there’s something personal about owning a creature that’s messy, odd, and expressive. People see themselves in it — or the version of themselves that refuses to be polished. It’s not just a collectible. It’s a mood.

The Resale Rush Is Real

With resellers flipping figures for triple the retail price, and knockoffs like “Lafufu” already circulating, the market is exploding. One collector reportedly dropped AED 5,000 chasing the full set. Entire pop-up launches are selling out in under an hour. This isn’t a trend — it’s a frenzy.

So, What Now?

Like every cultural wave, this one will eventually plateau. But for now, Labubu is more than just a figure — it’s a statement. A little rebel tucked in your palm. And in the UAE, it’s officially the latest badge of cool.

Let me know if you’d like this adapted for Instagram as well.

Feature images courtesy Instagram/ @jawahralsuwaidi