Ecommerce conversations continue to take centre stage for the Middle East region. At the inaugural Digitalks, a digitally-focused conference series, experts from the business asserted with over 60 percent audience shopping online in the region, understanding this segment is imperative.
“Deriving extraordinary results from innovative technology requires innovative people. With more than 72.5 million internet users in the MENA region, it’s clear that ecommerce is on the rise. Our goal, with the launch of Digitalks is to teach, inspire, and arm digital enthusiasts with the know-how, creativity, and new relationships that can help take their digital marketing programs to amazing new heights,” commented conference organizer Naguib Toihiri, Head of Marketing at RBBi.
“In the Middle East we are avid social media users with more than 88 percent of the online population uses social media platforms daily. Moreover, with the fast rise of social media usage in the region we’re now witnessing a new phenomenon – social selling,” commented Heba AlSamt, Digital Media Director of TV & Radio at Dubai Media Inc, addressing conference delegates.
In the UAE alone, the number of internet users is as high as 99 percent, and online shoppers now represent 62 percent of the population, a 25 percent increase from the previous year. According to PwC Middle East’s 2017 report, social media is vastly becoming the most attractive tool for online engagement. Social media is, in fact, driving customer behavior with 48 percent engaging in online promotions and more than 52 percent using social media channels to check product reviews or shop.
“Social media has been utilized by brands since inception, but this year we are seeing an increase in attention as more and more budget is being placed on these channels with the aim to connect better with customers,” added Ms AlSamt.
According to a recent report published by online regional payment platform PayFort, the Middle East ecommerce market is set to double to more than USD 69 billion by 2020.
