A quarterly round up of 25 Internet and Technology developments from across the Middle East, as well as wider global developments which may impact (or be of interest) to people in the region. Curated by ictQATAR's Social Impact Manger, Damian Radclife. Middle East Stories this quarter include: the most popular online activities in the Middle East, how UAE is the Global Smartphone Leader, Social Media Usage during Ramadan, eCommerce Insights and regional insights from the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report. Wider research includes: how mobile devices driving a return to the living room, uncovering the digital habits of Kenyan youth, evolving Cell Phone Behaviors, Vietnam’s new online censorship law and efforts to connect the next 5 billion online.

1. Digital Digest
25 recent Internet and Technology developments you may have missed
from – and/or potentially impacting on - Qatar and the Middle East
Issue 9: Q3 2013
Contact us: rassed@ict.gov.qa
Twitter: @ictqatar

2. Executive Summary
In a hurry? Our Top 10 takeaways
1. Video, Forums and eCommerce are MENA’s most popular online activities.
2. Nearly 75% of people in the UAE owns a smartphone.
3. Engagement with brands via social media increases during Ramadan
4. The value of the Middle East’s online commerce market grew by 29% last year.
5. Whilst the number of people shopping online increased by 65%.
6. MENA users upload around 2 of video every minute on YouTube.
7. ‫شبكة‬. shabaka or ".web" in English will become the world's first Arabic top-level domain.
8. 53% of UK audiences regularly multi-task with other media while watching TV.
9. In the US, video calling has tripled since 2011.
10. 1.7bn mobiles were sold in 2012, compared to 350m PCs.

3. Contents Issue 9: Q3 2013
Slides
1. Recent developments in the MENA region
• The most popular online activities in the Middle East
• UAE Global Smartphone Leader
• Social Media Usage during Ramadan
• Networked Society MENA City Index published
• eCommerce Insights
• In Brief: Content News
• In Brief: Social Media News
• In Brief: Technology News
• Spotlight: Global Competitiveness Report (World Economic Forum)
4-19
5-7
8-10
11
12
13-14
15
16
17
18-19
2. Wider ICT & Society Research
• Social Impact: Mobile devices driving a return to the living room
• Youth Research: Uncovering the digital habits of Kenyan youth
• Emerging Technology: Evolving Cell Phone Behaviors
• Internet Governance: Vietnam’s new online censorship law
20-25
21
22-23
24
25
3. Coming Up – three emerging issues
• Social Impact: “Mobile Is Eating The World”
• Technology: Machines and humans getting smarter by working together
• Internet Governance: Connecting the next 5 billion
26-29
27
28
29

4. 1. Recent developments in the MENA region
Images: http://bit.ly/1bV8y32, http://bit.ly/17hivUO, http://bit.ly/18iIGKy
Includes: - The most popular online activities in the Middle East
- UAE Global Smartphone Leader
- Social Media Usage during Ramadan
- Networked Society MENA City Index published
- eCommerce Insights
- Global Competitiveness Report

5. 1.1 Video, Forums and eCommerce - most popular
online activities in the Middle East (Ipsos MENA)
Survey data from 9 countries and 25,928 people
Source:http://slidesha.re/12vYrvG

6. With news consumption increasingly common online

7. But advertising remains focused on traditional channels.
Will advertising spend move to where the attention is?

8. 1.2 UAE Global Smartphone Leader (Google)
Nearly 3/4 people in the UAE owns a smartphone.
Usage in South Korea and Saudi Arabia follows close behind
- Data compiled by Statista from the results of Google’s ‘Our Global Planet’ survey.
Writing for the Spot On PR blog
Alexander McNabb dived deeper
into the UAE data, noting:
• 73% of users had prepaid
packages with 85% of users
connecting via Wi-Fi rather
than the public network.
• 77% of smartphone users
surveyed accessed the internet
at least daily and 66% multiple
times per day. 56% had used
the Internet on their phones
every day in the past week.
• Browsing the Internet (76%),
email (74%), photo or video
sharing (77%) and accessing
social networks (70%) were
the leading online activities.
Image from: http://bit.ly/15g7pdP

9. Jordanian based mobile app developer, FrootApps, compiled an
infographic which identified many of the same behaviors.
This included:
• frequency of usage
• popularity of home
based activity (where
Wi-Fi is presumably
more prevalent)
• Texting and Talking
account for >50% of
daily mobile use

10. Research from Ipsos showed different penetration figures
But the trend – high smartphone penetration – remains constant
(NB: This example highlights the challenge of getting accurate data from the region, but general trends
e.g. high smartphone penetration in the GCC can still be discerned, as all sources show this.)

11. 1.3 Social Media Usage during Ramadan (The Online Project)
- Brand engagement can increase substantially c.30%
- Integrated marketing has higher multiplier effects at this time
Brands typically
dedicate 20% of
their annual
media spend to
activity during
Ramadan.
Some spend
even more.
Source: Gulf News -
http://bit.ly/ruhaLE
“…people engage with social media at different periods of
time during Ramadan…. Brands benefit from the increase
in engagement, especially during peak hours, given that
the content is entertaining and/or valuable.”
http://bit.ly/16ZGeqE
http://bit.ly/13xXwxW

12. 1.4 First Networked Society MENA City Index published (Ericsson)
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are MENA’s most Hi-Tech Cities
ViaTfour.me:http://bit.ly/1b8nHi0
"Trends suggest that more than 60
percent of all people in the region
will live in cities by 2030.
In the future, advances in
technology and infrastructure
performance will continue to
change our lives, as ICT has the
potential to help us meet some of
our great societal challenges.
The report shows high levels of ICT
maturity in the MENA region in
terms of infrastructure and usage
and indicates the untapped
opportunities to leverage the
socioeconomic benefits."
Anders Lindblad, President, Region
Middle East and North Africa,
Ericsson
Via: http://bit.ly/19wAc0a

13. 1.5 eCommerce in the Middle East
New Insights from PayPal and Ipsos
Five Key Findings
1. The Middle East’s online commerce market grew 29% from
$7 billion in 2011 to $9 billion in 2012.
2. In 2012, there were over 30 million people shopping
online in the Middle East, an increase of 65% from 2011.
3. Predicted that the Middle East’s online commerce market
will be worth $15 billion a year by 2015.
4. Security remains the top concern for consumers.
5. Most transactions are completed on a computer, but
mobile transactions account for 10% of e-commerce.
Image: http://bit.ly/15EZh7S
Charts and Report: http://bit.ly/16O52Q6
Four reasons for
market growth:
“new consumers
purchasing online for
the first time;
retailers establishing an
online presence or
increasing the
sophistication of their
current online opening;
a number of major
international retailers
marketing directly to
consumers in the region
and finally, the explosive
growth of mobile
commerce.”

14. Key Charts
Top Online Spending categories in 2012
Top Online MENA merchants
(Average spend per online shopper)
Size of
MENA market

15. 1.6 In Brief: Content News
Image:http://bit.ly/1bAZaBk
Wamda reported that Lebanese game
developer Game Cooks had seen it’s
mobile word scramble game, reach the
Top Five for Word Games in the U.S.
App Store and Top Five in the overall
Games category in MENA countries
including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the
UAE, and Kuwait: http://bit.ly/19dwLxJ
The Gulf Times explored the popularity of
regional streaming services, given iTunes’
absence from this market in the Middle East
(NB: iTunes enjoys 63% market share of MENA music downloads).
Companies include France-based Deezer and
Morocco-based Yala Music, as well as Lebanon-
based Anghami, which has enjoyed two million
downloads since it launched in November 2012.
The market is estimated to be worth $1.1 billion
p.a. in the region. Piracy and illegal downloads
are a challenge to its growth: http://bit.ly/18kU3Ao
The MENA region contributes around 2
hours out of the 72 hours of video
uploaded every minute on YouTube.
via Tfour.me - http://bit.ly/1d4WDeT
“Do you remember
scrabble, the old yet
classic word game?! Get
ready to meet its cooler
cousin: “Scrab it”, a new
modern concept for your
mobile device.”
Image and downloads available via:
https://itunes.apple.com/sa/app/scrab-it/id661176587?mt=8

16. Facebook ads in #Egypt are
as a popular as Google ads:
http://bit.ly/1d4WDeT
1.7 In Brief: Social Media Highlights
Global Voices notes the popularity of a
Twitter hashtag, which translates as
Take a Picture of Yourself Like a Girl
Does. It shows Saudi boys poking fun at
girls sharing their pictures on social
media: http://bit.ly/14fMN9s
LinkedIn revealed that Emirates has
become the first global airline to
reach 100,000 followers:
http://bit.ly/1gRNkko
Imagesvia:http://bit.ly/15kHN0p

17. 1.8 In Brief: Technology News
“The Middle East beats the West in female tech founders”
reports The Economist, noting that globally 10% of internet
entrepreneurs across the world are women, against an average
35% in MENA. http://econ.st/155Iyeh
‫شبكة‬. (.shabaka or ".web" in English), will
become the world's first Arabic top-level
domain (TLD) http://bit.ly/15CtqtY
Informa reports that sales of tablets in the region are expected to
increase almost fivefold in the next four years, from 6.5 million
in 2012 to 32.1 million in 2016. http://bit.ly/16jaDmY
Jordan blocks 254 news websites for having no license.
During the summer AFP reported sites were blocked “for failing to obtain the
necessary licensing,” which followed legislation introduced in 2012. The law
included powers to regulate “electronic publications,” with sites having to be
registered and licensed. http://bit.ly/16BA98i

18. 1.9 Global Competitiveness Report (via World Economic Forum)
The World Economic Forum has published their latest
Global Competitiveness Report which assesses the
competitiveness landscape of 148 economies, with a
focus on the drivers of productivity and prosperity.
A number of countries in the MENA region did well in
this index, with the report authors noting:
Source: http://bit.ly/15WC6sT (Page 14)
“The Middle East and North African region continues to
be affected by political turbulence that has impacted
individual countries’ competitiveness.…
… At the same time, some small, energy-rich economies in
the region perform well in the rankings.
This underlines the fact that, contrary to the situation found in
previous energy price booms, these countries have
managed to contain the effects of rising energy prices on
their economies and have used the window of
opportunity to embark on structural reforms and invest in
competitiveness-enhancing measures.”
Image: http://bit.ly/18mtgDG

19. The Index uses 12 Pillars to determine
competitiveness including Technological
Readiness, which recognizes that “in today’s
globalized world, technology is increasingly
essential for firms to compete and prosper.”
Cited benefits provided by Tech include increased
productivity and production processes, daily
activities, enabling innovation, and cross-cutting
infrastructure. Image: http://bit.ly/1521eLm
About the Index

20. 2. Wider research related to ICT and Society
Images: http://bit.ly/19aIwI6, http://bit.ly/19PxpPC, http://bit.ly/16XzVTf
Includes: - Mobile devices driving a return to the living room
- Uncovering the digital habits of Kenyan youth
- Evolving Cell Phone Behaviors
- Vietnam’s new online censorship law

21. 2.1 Social Impact: The domestic digital media hub
Tablets and Smartphones driving a return to the living room
Ofcom’s Communications Market Report 2013
revealed that people still coming together to
watch TV in the living room – 91% of UK
adults view TV on the main set each week.
But they often undertake other digital media
activity – such as streaming videos, using
instant messenger apps or updating their social
media status – at the same time.
Terminology Watch
“Media meshing”’ – doing something
else but related to what they’re watching
on TV.
e.g. During the 2013 Wimbledon Men’s tennis
final, 1.1 million people tweeted 2.6 million times
using hashtags associated with the game. 80%
of tweets were from mobile devices.
- 25% media mesh weekly
-------------------
“Media stacking’ – using smartphones
and tablets for completely unrelated
activities while watching TV.
- 53% regularly multi-task with
other media while watching TV
Read more: http://bit.ly/1cqUA7l

22. 2.2 Youth Research: new UNICEF report published
Uncovering the digital habits of Kenyan youth
UNICEF has published a report which looked at how young people in Kenya use ICT. The
report noted that young people don’t differentiate between mobile and Internet use,
instead viewing it as an integrated digital experience which enables them to meet new
people, access entertainment-related content and learn about new things of interest.
Read more: http://bit.ly/13STkGP
Popular activities online include:
• socializing and chatting using
social media platforms and chat
forums,
• accessing audio/video content,
playing games, and
• searching for information on
topics ranging from sports,
entertainment, fashion, dating
and love lives to academic
subjects and gossip.
In terms of developing skills to be
safe online, young people prefer
to learn from people like them.

23. Cyberbullying or receiving hurtful messages was common.
Respondents usually just delete
such messages or block the
sender. They seldom tell an adult.
qnrct16bit.ly/http://Image:
All charts are taken from the report.

24. 2.3 Technology: Evolving Cell Phone Behaviors
50% of US cell owners download apps to their phones
48% listen to music services + video calling triples since 2011
Research at: http://bit.ly/14Wxd55 Images via: http://bit.ly/18e4Egg
With 91% of US adults owning a mobile phone, new data from the Pew Research Center
shows how over the past four years phone owners are increasingly likely to use their
mobile for activities such as getting directions, listening to music or video calling.

25. 2.4 Internet Governance
Vietnam’s new online censorship law attracts criticism
Decree 72 bans bloggers and users of social media from quoting, gathering, or
summarizing information from press organizations or government websites,
reports the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Designed to uphold "national security,"
Vietnamese authorities also claim it will help combat online copyright infringement.
Image:http://bit.ly/192czf3
Critics of the decree included the Asia
Internet Coalition (which includes
eBay, Facebook, Google, and Yahoo!):
“It is unfortunate that the Vietnamese
government has decided to take a
restrictive policy approach towards the
management of the internet….
In the long term, the Decree will stifle
innovation and discourage businesses
from operating in Vietnam, thereby
hindering Vietnam's goal to establish itself
as an advanced competitive ICT nation.”
Statement via: http://bit.ly/171VfsV
Read more: http://bit.ly/18SUiBl and
http://wapo.st/16rAhly
According to Reporters Without Borders,
35 bloggers and other online critics
have been jailed in Vietnam in 2013.
The Washington Post noted this means that
“about 20 percent of the world's imprisoned
bloggers this year have been Vietnamese”.
Whilst, the Elite Daily website called it “The
Strictest Online Censorship We’ve Ever Seen.”

26. 3. Emerging Issues
Images: http://gtnr.it/1aEbJZc, http://bit.ly/16YFuRo, http://bit.ly/15FrJGY,
Includes: - “Mobile Is Eating The World”
- Machines and humans getting smarter by working together
- Connecting the next 5 billion

27. 3.1 Social Impact: “Mobile Is Eating The World”
Benedict Evans’ presentation outlines the impact
on the PC and Mobile Industries of tablet and
smartphone take up, and the impact on
Internet usage.
In this environment he refers to “the role of
content as a competitive weapon”.
Source: http://slidesha.re/1gVFSES
How mobile is changing our relationship with the Internet.

28. 3.2 Emerging Technology: Top trends of 2013 (Gartner)
Machines and humans getting smarter by working together
The 2013 edition of Gartner's long-running Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies identifies the three
biggest emerging technological trends, as well as technologies which are overhyped.
The Top 3
1) Augmenting humans with
technology e.g. an
employee with a wearable
computing device;
2) Machines replacing
humans e.g. a cognitive
virtual assistant acting as an
automated customer
representative; and
3) Humans and machines
working alongside each
other e.g. a mobile robot
working with a warehouse
employee to move boxes.
Technologies at the overhyped stage – shown on the chart in the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” segment
include "big data", consumer 3D printing, gamification, and wearable user interfaces.
Mobile health monitoring, NFC and cloud computing reside in the “Trough of Disillusionment”.
wSu1605zd.net/http://Source:

29. 3.3 Internet Governance: Connecting the next 5 billion
The Founder members are: Facebook, Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and
Samsung. Efforts will include lobbying, developing new business models and focusing
on mobile and reducing the data needed by apps and other online tools.
Press release: http://bit.ly/17IUNP5 New York Times article: http://nyti.ms/19bvtGb
Mark Zuckerberg announces a global partnership – Internet.org
Critics argued that the move is being driven by a search for
new markets, or that the developing world has more pressing needs.
e.g. Time: Three Reasons Zuckerberg’s “Internet For All” Crusade Rings Hollow - http://ti.me/19yeNER
The move follows the launch of “Project Loon” by Google (featured
) which uses balloons to help fill coverage gaps.8Digest Noin
The New York Times noted that Zuckerberg
acknowledged this but that he felt: “if you can
afford a phone, I think it would be really good
for you to have access to the Internet.”
“We’re focused on it more because we think it’s something good for the world…
rather than something that is going to be really amazing for our profits.”

30. Thank you for reading.
•Visit our SlideShare channel for previous
•Issues and our monthly Tech Top 10:
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Disclaimer: all content in these slides is in the public domain and referenced so that you can read the original sources.
Any omissions, errors or mistakes are mine, and mine alone.
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