Report: Super Malls & Market stalls – Mobile retail usage in the Middle East

Last week was GITEX technology week, and MEF Member OnDevice Research has released a timely look at the role of mcommerce in the Middle East. It finds that, among many other observations, a massive 90% of mobile internet users in Saudi Arabia and UAE have used their phone while in store to research products and prices. Check out the rest of the findings and the full report below in this guest post from the OnDevice Research Blog. Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) have some of the highest smartphone penetrations in the world, 76% and 75% respectively. Both countries have also …

Dubai to Host Second GSMA Mobile 360 Series – Middle East

As Gitex Technology Week fast approaches, and in addition to hosting our own MEF Connects Dubai on the 14th of October, MEF is supporting the GSMA's second annual Mobile 360 Series - Middle East event to be held in Dubai. Here, Chief Marketing Officer, Michael O’Hara discusses the ever-increasing impact and importance of mobile technology in these exciting growth markets. In less than two weeks’ time the Dubai World Trade Center will play host to the GSMA’s Mobile 360 Series - Middle East conference for the second year running. Held on October 13th and 14th, the event is designed to appeal to …

Countdown to GSMA Mobile 360 – Middle East

Next week the Middle East mobile community will gather for Gitex Technology Week. As well as hosting MEF Connects Dubai on 22nd October, MEF is supporting the GSMA's first ever Mobile 360 Series event to be held in Dubai. Here, Chief Marketing Officer Michael O’Hara explains what delegates can expect from the event and how it will help unlock the potential of the exciting Middle East market. It’s now less than a week until the GSMA will host its first Mobile 360-Middle East event in Dubai (21-22 October). Mobile 360-Middle East has been designed to reflect the specific interests and concerns …

What’s behind the growth of mobile digital content in the Middle East?

Juan Jose De La Torre, VP of Strategy & Corporate Development and Meghali Sharma, Competitive Intelligence Analyst at Intigral take a deep dive into the Middle Eastern mobile digital content market, and uncover the driving forces of its rapid growth. The Middle Eastern telecommunications market is going through a transitional shift demonstrated by changing business models on the back of high smartphone penetration rates and a slow down in revenue growth. The business reality is that telco customer engagement models are evolving from subscriber acquisition to customer retention and now to …

MEF Diary – Visiting Dubai and the MEF Middle East Steering Committee

Ewa Golebiewska is Member Services Manager for MEF globally, and recently visited Dubai to meet with members from the MEF Middle East Steering Committee. Getting up at 5.45am on Sunday morning is never pleasant, but I was about to fly from a rainy London to a city in a desert with the tallest buildings in the world to meet some of our most important members in this key region. On Monday the 13th of May the MEF Middle East Steering committee met, Chaired by MEF CEO Rimma Perelmuter,  and kindly hosted by member Dentons at their beautiful offices.  The meeting was very well attended with …

MEF Middle East surveys show strong mobile growth in Middle East region

MEF Middle East’s Office, co-founded by the Qtel Group, has published its third Middle East Mobile Content & Commerce Survey, carried out in partnership with KPMG. It found that overall the level of confidence in growth in the region remains bullish, and is growing. Fot the third year running, MEF again invited everyone who does business in the Middle East, no matter where they are headquartered, to share their insights into this key market.The study offers a unique time line of business confidence in mobile content and commerce activities in the region. The market appears to be growing …

The 3rd MEF Middle East Survey

Back in August, MEF began conducting the third survey in its regional benchmarking study in association with KPMG and ArabNet about the mobile and content and commerce market in the Middle East. We invited everyone who does business in the Middle East, no matter where they are headquartered, to share their insights into this key market.The survey will form part of a unique time series on the Middle East's mobile landscape. As the first mobile focused trade body with a dedicated presence in the region, MEF is committed to supporting growth and innovation in this strategic territory. The …

Middle East Steering Committee

MEF Middle East is calling for members for a Steering Committee, with a specific focus on the increasingly problematic issue of piracy within the mobile ecosystem. The Steering Committee will seek to review and clarify rules for the industry while producing a best practice framework that describes how mobile networks can best handle suspected pirated content.The Steering Committee will be of relevance to MEF members from across the mobile ecosystem including content owners, telecom operators, mobile aggregators, law firms, developers and regulators.Join the likes of MEF members Qtel Group, …

MEF partners with Digital Arabia event, 6-7 November, Dubai

Stimulus speakers from Mobily, du, Etisalat, and Qtel join the Digital Arabia debate with Universal Music, Disney, MBC Group, Saatchi & Saatchi and others! To find out more about the event click here, or apply to participate. MEF has a 20% DISCOUNT to all members. Contact us to get your dicsount code to use when you register online.Produced and facilitated by business innovation firm STL Partners, Digital Arabia will take place at the brand new Jumeirah Creekside Hotel in Dubai from 6-7 November. By invitation only for 200 senior executives from across the communications, retail, media, …

Sign up for our next webinar – Monday 16th July

Hot on the heels of the recent webinar from MEF LatAm on the Code of Conduct for VAS in Brazil, MEF Middle East is set to host another on line thought leadership session on the charged topic of the challenges facing network carriers in the face of OTT content and services.We have some fantastic guest speakers from both camps, listed below, including representatives from the Qtel Group and Telefonica discussing the advances by network operators to roll out Rich Communication Services (RCS) strategies, and from OTT service providers Nimbuzz and Vopium who will be sharing their market …

MEF publishes 2nd Content & Commerce Survey defining the mobile value chain in the Middle East

Back in October, MEF invited companies active in the Middle East to share their insights on the region’s market performance in the previous quarter and outline their expectations for the future. Now the results have been published of this, the second dedicated Middle East mobile content and commerce surveys, conducted in partnership with the global firm of auditors & MEF member KPMG. The survey found that the overall level of confidence in the future of the Middle Eastern mobile market remains high, with growth opportunities in particular identified for games, apps and ad-funded mobile …

MEF Middle East Webinar – HTML5 vs Native Apps

Topic: HTML5 vs. Native Apps in defining mobile application strategiesDate: Wednesday 14th DecemberTime: 14:00 (UAE)Join us next week for a MEF Middle east webinar discussion examining the different approaches to mobile applications afforded by HTML5 and native applications.Register NowThere has been increased discussion around HTML5 in recent months prompting content publishers to question and rethink their mobile application strategies. While many tend to revert to building native apps as a tried and tested solution, there is another camp supporting HTML5 development due to the benefits …

Be a part of MEF’s Second Dedicated Industry Survey focusing on the Middle East

Another survey of import was launched by MEF this week, the second MEF Middle East Content & Commerce Survey. This one focuses squarely on the Middle East and is part of a series of investigations into the state of the Mobile content & commerce market in the region. MEF is inviting all companies with activities in the region to take part, regardless of where they're headquartered, or how long they've been in the mobile space.The first survey, published in August 2011, showed an overwhelmingly positive outlook of businesses in the value chain, with 35.6% of mobile content and commerce …

MEF Connects Dubai – GITEX Tech Week

Busy time for MEF coming up, lots of exciting events across the globe with great benefits for MEF members. Next week in Dubai it's GITEX Technology Week, and the MEF Middle East Office will have a strong showing.In addition to it's dedicated stand and series of open panel discussions at GITEX itself, MEF ME will be hosting MEF Connects Dubai, an exclusive member invite only networking event, brought to our members in association with inMobi. Held in the Novotel in DWTC, right in the heart of GITEX on Tuesday the 11th October, MEF Connects Dubai will offer the opportunity to mingle with local …

MEF & Qtel Launch Middle East Office as 2010 World Cup kicks off

(l-r): Gerrit Jan Konijnenberg (MEF EMEA Chairman), Dr Tidu Maini (QSTP Chairman) and Dr Nasser Marafih (CEO of the Qtel Group).Qatar is bidding for the 2022 World Cup: each stadium will be fully air-conditioned to counter the searing 40+ degree heat of their summer months, and once the tournament is over the constructions will be dismantled and exported to Africa as part of their legacy commitment.Such determination and ingenuity are qualities much in evidence as Qatar pursues its transformation into a knowledge-based economy. On 15 June, Qtel Group celebrated the co-founding of the MEF …