“Barbie” is set to open across the Middle East on Thursday, but moves by Kuwait and Lebanon to ban the film over its themes on gender and sexuality have raised questions about how widely it will be released.

The United Arab Emirates has approved the release of the “Barbie” movie after a three-week delay over possible content issues.

Creative director Alessandro Michele has radically shifted Gucci codes and challenged fashion norms in 6½ years at the helm of the brand founded by Guccio Gucci as a travel bag company in Florence 100 years ago.