This document contains a presentation about marketing and public relations perspectives in the Middle East. It begins with an introduction to the speaker's background and experience working in the Gulf region. Several key facts are presented about the Middle Eastern media and marketing landscape, including that 60% of the Arab world is under 30 years old and internet penetration is growing rapidly in many countries. The document discusses the state of the media industry and highlights new regional hubs. It also notes how social media marketing is an actively supported initiative in the region, with platforms like Facebook and Twitter seeing significant user growth.

1. Communications
PH www.phcommunications.net
Marketing & PR Perspectives
in the Middle East
A presentation to SP Jain Center of Management
August 30, 2010

2. Welcome to a land of contrasts where
Muslim culture meets a modern consumer
economy

3. A word about me
 19 years in the Gulf Region
 Trained with IAPCO, Switzerland
 Ex-Bates PanGulf/Burson-Marsteller, Qatar
 MBA (Marketing) University of Liverpool, UK
 BBG Comms Director 2009/10, Dubai
 Owner, PH Communications – Marketing
Communications Consultancy

4. The Middle East
Media & Marketing
Scene

5. 60%
of the Arab World is
under 30 years old

6. Internet penetration is growing
0.3%
1%
1%
7%
10%
12%
15%
15%
19%
24%
25%
37%
68%
69%
84%
Sudan
Syria
Yemen
Egypt
Oman
Morocco
Jordan
Palestine
Lebanon
Tunisia
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia
Bahrain
UAE
Qatar
Source: Arab Media Outlook 2009-2013
Internet penetration by country:

7. Media hit by downturn
but still thriving
 200+ newspapers
 470 television channels
 35,000 journalists
 85% of consumers
prefer Arabic language
media

8. Abu Dhabi’s twofour54 is a new regional
hub for the media and communications
sector

9. Selling the
region to the
world

10. Roger Federer on the world’s highest
tennis court at Dubai’s Burj al-Arab

11. Qatar building a profile as a sports hub
for the Middle East and North Africa

12. Social media
marketing

13. 15 million Facebook users…
Source: Spot On Public Relations, 2010

14. 5 million visitors to Twitter.com
in Middle East Africa in June 2010
142%

15. It hasn't
18%
Going completely
digital
27%
Considering
adding digital to
our marketing mix
55%
Middle East Digital Marketing Survey
How has the economic instability of 2009 altered
your marketing strategy for the coming year?

16. Yes
84%
No 8%
Not sure 8%
Middle East Digital Marketing Survey
Is social media marketing an initiative your
company actively supports?

17. Middle East marketers are utilising social
media platforms such as Twitter

18. Facebook subscribers outnumber newspaper
copies in four of Facebook’s five MENA country
markets
Source: Spot On Public Relations, 2010

19. Communications
PH www.phcommunications.net
Marketing & PR Perspectives
in the Middle East
A presentation to SP Jain Center of Management
August 30, 2010