Mideast unrest fuels Facebook growth

The political unrest in the Middle East has fuelled a strong growth in Facebook and other online media platforms and heightened user awareness about the importance of connectivity and a presence on social media websites. "The convergence of media and telecoms is creating fresh opportunities as well as new difficulties," Matthew Reed, Senior Analyst at Informa Telecoms and Media, said. Facebook's popularity has shot up in the past several months across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region on the back of the Arab Spring. With net additions reaching 30 per cent quarter-on-quarter, there were an estimated 26.9 million Facebook users in the Mena at the end of first quarter. Article continues below The leading countries for Facebook in the region are Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. The majority of users use the English and French versions of the site while an estimated 10 per cent use the Arabic interface, which was launched in the first quarter of 2009. "There are clear indications of a shift in media dissemination in the region, whether religious or political. A recent Arab Social Media Report attributes the growth in Facebook in Mena to political purposes as opposed to more social interaction between family and friends. A large proportion of the religious communities are also using the Facebook platform to air their views; religious content is increasingly moving online and getting maximum exposure in what can be aptly described as a battlefield for the winning of hearts and minds through rhetoric. Many clerics have also embraced mictoblogging space Twitter and frequently feature on YouTube," Esmail Patel, research analyst, Informa Telecoms and Media, said. Key enabling factors inthe strong growth, Matthew said, are the rise in both fixed and mobile broadband. The number of fixed broadband subscriptions in the region grew by about 160 per cent in the three-year period to the end of June. Mobile data use "Also with the increased adoption of smart phones, subscribers expect a PC-like experience on their mobile device. As the demand for mobile data is growing by leaps and bounds, operators around the world are presented with a unique opportunity to generate new revenue streams and grow their business," Vikram Shanbhag, Vice-President, Mobile Messaging Solutions, Comviva, said. "Additionally, strong growth in the use of social-media services, which was accelerated by the events of the Arab Awakening, demonstrates the interest in the region in new digital media content and formats. The region's nascent e-commerce sector is also seeing a rise in activity," Matthew said. Patel said the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Lebanon are the leading five countries in the region in terms of penetration. Growth, however, was the fastest in countries experiencing social unrest. The countries with the lowest number of Facebook users are in Iran and Libya, due to censorship. Syria witnessed a massive surge in users following the lifting of the ban. Patel said the UAE is racing ahead in terms of penetration with the high number of expatriates connected via social media being a major factor. The Arabic version of Facebook is proving to be popular with segments within the region. Some analysts have exaggerated its potential, however, by claiming it will trump other languages like English and French by the end of the year. Room for growth "There is ample room for growth in Mena. The average population penetration is at 14.2 per cent. The increased take-up of smartphones and online illiteracy will guarantee, for the medium term, that Facebook will continue to grow. "Google and Facebook have gone to considerable lengths to localise and Arabicise their services and that is an important factor in their success in the regional market," according to Reda Haidar, Dubai-based consultant for Informa. "Localisation and Arabicisation are essential if international players are to reach a mass market in the Middle East. Investments in the region by Yahoo and LivingSocial demonstrate the interest that international players have in the regional digital-media market. But players from within the region have the advantage of local knowledge, which is a strength that international entrants find hard to replicate, he said. However, Matthew said that there are constraints on digital media in the region, including the limited availability and affordability of data services in the less-developed markets; a lack of attractive local content; high levels of content piracy; and a reluctance to pay for goods, services or content online.