AmmanTT 2012, Second Anniversary Review

This past Tuesday the first of May was a special day for startups in the MENA, especially in Amman, Jordan. Amman Tech Tuesdays which is a monthly gathering for techies in Jordan celebrated it’s second anniversary last Tuesday and they threw an impressive event. I personally thought it was a success, it had panelist discussions as well as a drop in visit by HRH Queen Rania... Read More

How to create engaging conversation on Social Media

Conversations are happening everyday by everyone everywhere; but what makes them different is the intention and purpose of the conversationalist. Social Media has certainly changed many things in ways brands as well as individuals are communicating now. Of course, a great deal of concern and attention must be given to this space. In not so long ago, brands as well as individuals... Read More

SentioMedia’s Demo at Step Conference

  On April 6th, the Step Conference took place at the MAKE business hub (yes I’ve been going there a lot lately!) and it was a very refreshing hip and unconventional conference I really liked what and how they did it. To give you an example Alex Tohme was moderating one panel about innovation in the MENA and only two of the five panelists were preselected the remaining... Read More

Startups from Arabnet 2012: Codely.com

Can you imagine a time or place where everybody knows a language, a programming language that is? How different would the world be? Well, today I want to share a really interesting new startup from Jordan called Codely that is looking to make that possibility achievable. Codely is an interactive learning platform that empowers students around proper ICT education within the classroom... Read More

How to create top Social Media campaigns

Social Media is not a new medium, however it needs a new approach. Success in Social Media campaigns entirely depends on type of approach and consistency of messages brands tend to send out. Therefore, it is critical to get the sense of purpose right upon deciding to launch your brand on any social channels. I was invited to an event in London back in February 2012, to speak about... Read More

Things I saw at Arabnet 2012: Intafeen.com

We’re back from Arabnet in Beirut and I think it’s safe to say that the event was a success. There were a number of interesting talks, presentations and most importantly startups from the region. I got the chance to speak to some of them. And we will write more about them in the coming days. First up I had the chance to speak with Dr. Adel Youssef who has been working on... Read More

Help us help the web in #MENA (Survey)

I’ve been wanting to use the “Arabic” Y U No Guy for a while now and I finally have the chance, I don’t think there’s a greater call to action then an illustration of guy in a Shemagh (aka Keffiyeh)! Anyways… On to more serious matters, this month has had a lot of firsts for us and we’re going ahead and adding another one. We’re carrying... Read More

The most successful social media campaign in history, so far! #kony2012

Through your facebook newsfeed, tweets, or from your mobile, we all heard and eventually watched one of the most viral clips ever. It got us emotional, we liked the video, we retweeted it, we talked about it offline with our friends. Invisible Children’s campaign faced huge success that critiques jumped in with conspiracy theories, and accused it with many allegations like slacktivisim,... Read More

Payment Gateways in the #UAE

E-commerce in the MENA region is picking up, a great number of websites selling goods online have been appearing as of late but it still not hasn’t reached its maximum potential a great article as to why can be found on Wamda. Anyone that has worked on an e-commerce website in the region (or at least in the UAE) knows that accepting payments online can quickly become a major... Read More

G+ the only invite only Social Network Site

Google Plus (G+) is just a few weeks old Social Network Site (SNS) from Google and already exceeded 20 million users, despite the fact the new Social Media channel is still in Beta (invite only). It took Facebook good few years to reach 20 million users, so it is fair to say the new SNS is more dynamic. G+ however doesn’t currently compete head to head with Facebook but instead... Read More

The Digital Experiment: Youtube Success or “don’t pretend you don’t like free stuff”

Note: “Reem’s Digital Experiment” is a series on www.interactiveme.com where I put digital marketing formulas to the test. For this first series, I am going to attempt to create a “successful Youtube Channel by a blogger in the Middle East”. Many of my clients have asked how to do this effectively and while I often reference popular “success stories”, they aren’t... Read More

Social Media is about back to basic

We’ve always had one form of technology in our life, from fishing in 3,000 years ago to satellite technology today. This is all about our power of creativity and willingness to develop the past inventions to make life easier. We’ve always looked for ways to change things, especially making our everyday communications smoother and more effective. Mobile phones, text... Read More

The rise of Mobile in the MENA

Last week we posted an article about some interesting information released by Effective Measure regarding mobile internet consumption in the MENA region. Apparently brands in the region have noticed this trend and have started reacting to this consumer need by producing either mobile apps or mobile websites to connect with users on the go. The latest company to do so is Dubizzle,... Read More

Q&A with Dakwak’s CEO & Co-Founder Zaid Amireh (Part 2)

This article is a continuation of yesterday’s discussion with Zaid Amireh, CEO and Co-Founder of Dakwak. Yesterday we discussed Dakwak’s background and how they came to be along with some technical details. Today we will be discussing how they secured funding to start such a venture and if they have any tips or information for anybody thinking of starting on their own. Business 1)... Read More

Q&A with Dakwak’s CEO & Co-Founder Zaid Amireh (Part 1)

A while ago I read about a startup from Jordan called Dakwak, they provide an easy and fast way to translate and localize any website to a language your audience and visitors want. I thought it was a pretty cool idea so I got in touch with them and wanted to know more about them and see if they had any advice for people starting up new ventures in the region. Below is the discussion... Read More

The Internet Show Middle East Survey Report 2011

A report released by The Internet Show Middle East reveals important information about online and social marketing in the MENA region. The aim of the survey is to gain insight into how Middle Eastern businesses are currently dealing with internet business issues and the challenges they face now and in the future. The event which will take place on September 27 – 28 in Abu... Read More

Virtual Job Fair held by Bayt.com

Bayt.com announced yesterday that it will be holding it’s virtual job fair between the April 24 – 28. Just like any job fair applicants and companies and meet and chitchat about vacancies, job opportunities and growth opportunities, unlike conventional job fairs they don’t have to be in the same place. Bayt apparently held more the 15 previous virtual online job... Read More

Yalla! Join Google’s Student Ambassador Program in the Middle East

Enthusiasts about new technology and Google products can now have a thrilling new opportunity to be one of Google’s Student Ambassadors on their campus. Through the Students Ambassador Program, you become a liaison between Google and your university. Ambassadors plan and host several events during the school year, introduce students to new Google products and features and... Read More

Google Arabic #Fail but its for a good cause!

Google has announced the launch of messages for Japan a site where people around the world could input messages for Japan in their own languages and have them automatically translated into Japanese while raising funds to help Japan. While this is a very noble and noteworthy cause, I couldn’t help but notice in their promotional youtube video for the website that the Arabic... Read More

Fast Lebanon or Furious Battle

In support of the Lebanese campaign towards a country with fast internet and part of the responsibility to disseminate the demands or needs of the crowd, we unanimously decided to join, help in demonstrations, and promote better policy reform for this issue. Lebanon has two internet service providers of little competitiveness and unbelievable prices. It’s even said that both... Read More