Popular microblogging service provider Twitter plans to open an
office in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which will be its
first office in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region,
according to a report on Thursday.
Twitter’s plan to open the Dubai office, which was announced on
Wednesday, was part of the company’s efforts to better serve local
users, partners and advertisers, and would be the latest in its efforts
to boost its global offline presence, The Khaleej Times said in a report
on Thursday.
In the past year, Twitter has opened several offices around the
world, and the fourth quarter alone saw the addition of 13 new markets,
resulting in a current sales presence in 73 countries worldwide.
MENA is one of the fastest growing markets for Twitter worldwide and
this announcement comes as a part of the company’s increased investment
and commitment to the region.
“MENA is a key strategic market for us and our new Dubai office will
serve as the focal point to help our development across the region,”
said Shailesh Rao, vice-president for Asia-Pacific, Latin America and
Emerging Markets at Twitter.
“Dubai is a regional hub for many brands and advertising agencies and
we are excited to build a team on the ground here (which) can work with
partners directly, helping them get the most out of Twitter,” he added.
Several factors have contributed to Twitter’s growth in the Middle
East, the most significant of them being changing demographics,
according to the report.
More than 30 percent of the MENA population is in the age group of
15-29 years, representing over 100 million youth who have grown up with
internet and social media.
The Gulf region, and UAE and Saudi Arabia in particular, represented
some of the largest groups of active internet users, and would most
likely continue to be the driving centres for Twitter’s ever-growing
presence.
Statistics have shown that 88 percent of the Middle East’s online
population uses social networking sites daily and Twitter is no
exception.
In fact, more people, brands and businesses are realising the
potential of Twitter to connect themselves with a global audience. As a
result, the platform itself is increasingly becoming an important part
of the social culture in the Middle East.
“Our vision is to make Twitter relevant for everyone, everywhere; 77
percent of our monthly active users are outside of the US. Our expansion
and decision to set up office in Dubai is a natural step in being
closer to our customers and partners, and provides a great opportunity
for us to continue our growth,” said Rao.
Source : Online Khobor
Source : Online Khobor
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