Twitter is planning to open up an office in Dubai – the first ever office of the microblogging service in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, it has been revealed.
Twitter’s new office in Dubai will be part of 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 MENA region is one of the fastest growing markets for Twitter 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.
