Today’s Middle East is an incredibly rich and diverse place. From the glitzy towers of Dubai to the buzzing streets of Cairo, it’s a land of inherent contradictions – where censorship of the internet exists alongside the highest social media usage in the world, religious clerics have larger Twitter followings than Hollywood celebrities, livestock are sold on Instagram, and social media has completely transformed the relationships between people, governments and brands.
This talk, given at SXSW 2017, provides an in-depth view into life as a modern Arab, and how regional and global brands are succeeding or failing to connect with the Arab Digital Generation.
16. Connected.
• Saudi: Highest Global Penetration
• Region: continued solid growth
• 232 million users in MENA, 5x the number in 2012
• Double the average global video consumption.
• 510 million video views a day
• Saudi: the highest per capita consumption of YouTube globally.
• UAE: 2.6 million active users
• Saudi: 12 million active users
• UAE: 920K daily active users
• Saudi: 8.3 million daily active users
29. Which of the following is closest to your view?
2011
2012
2013
2014 54
60
65
83
46
40
35
17
Traditional values are outdated and belong in the past. I am keen to embrace modern values and beliefs.
Traditional values mean a lot ot me, and ought to be preserved for generations to come.
2014 ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey
30. How we view Arabic
2015 ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey
152263
“Knowing English can advance one’s
career more than knowing Arabic.”
193447“Arabic is losing its value.”
121573“Arabic is central to my national identity.”
Agree Disagree Don’t Know
70. Ohood Al Roumi
Minister of State for Happiness
Shamma Al Mazrui
Minister of State for Youth Affairs
Lubna Al Qasimi
Minister of State for Tolerance