Silicon Arabia (Part 3): The Talent Equation
This Article is written by Shashi Menon who is a web/media entrepreneur, int’l management consultant and works within the strategy and business development at twofour54 (Abu Dhabi Media Zone), where he focuses primarily on identifying strategic business opportunities for twofour54. Recently, he was instrumental in the formation of Comedy Central Studios Arabia. Before joining twofour54, Shashi founded two successful startups in the U.S., the most... Read More
Google is warming up for Arabia 2.0 event
Despite the fact that Google is a bit late to organize such event, it will remain a big news for the industry. Google is turning its head towards the Middle East and warming up to organize its first Google Day: Arabia 2.0 event. Google Day aims to bring around 150 government and thought leaders together to think and debate about the future innovation – prospects and challenges – in the Arab World. Google says this is going to be an exciting... Read More
Arabic Web Kicks Off On Google’s Browser
The primary purpose of a web browser is to bring information resources on world wide web to the users, they can generally display any kind of content that can be part of a web page. If you can’t use it in Arabic to retrieve Arabic content, then simply you can’t get to the Arabic Web. While Google releases the new official version of their browser Chrome that supports extensions of over 1,500 features, Google’s transliteration tool... Read More
Apple Launches iPad: Read The Very Detailed Official Press Release
This is the official Apple press release: Apple today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch™ display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds— thinner and lighter than any... Read More
Silicon Arabia: Can the MENA Region Become a Viable and Vibrant Hub for Start-Ups? (Part 2)
This Article is written by Shashi Menon who is a web/media entrepreneur, int’l management consultant and works within the strategy and business development at twofour54 (Abu Dhabi Media Zone), where he focuses primarily on identifying strategic business opportunities for twofour54. Recently, he was instrumental in the formation of Comedy Central Studios Arabia. Before joining twofour54, Shashi founded two successful startups in the U.S., the... Read More
MediaWeek ME Monitor (Jan 24): Entrepreneurship, Apple, Flip Media
Read in Media Week Middle East (Jan 24, 2010) about interactive/digital media: Who’s got the X Factor? – The year ahead could be a battle between monolithic media and those with a few tricks up their sleeves, according to industry heavyweights. “[In the Middle East] the truth is that the chance for entrepreneurial businesses to surpass “consolidated corporate” businesses is highly unlikely – advertisers are too... Read More
Silicon Arabia: Can the MENA Region Become a Viable and Vibrant Hub for Start-Ups? (Part 1)
This Article is written by Shashi Menon who is a web/media entrepreneur, int’l management consultant and works within the strategy and business development at twofour54 (Abu Dhabi Media Zone), where he focuses primarily on identifying strategic business opportunities for twofour54. Recently, he was instrumental in the formation of Comedy Central Studios Arabia. Before joining twofour54, Shashi founded two successful startups in the U.S., the... Read More
Yallakora.com TV Plays Now On Mobile
Yallakora.com, the leading sports website in Egypt and MENA region announces the launch of Yallakora TV for mobile phones, giving all users the privilege to watch match commentary and sports analysis from their mobile phones. Yallakora.com is now considered the first website in the region to offer mobile phone compatible video streaming, allowing users to watch interviews with players and coaches, match analysis and the rest of the contents of Yallakora.com’s... Read More
Microsoft Announces Tech.Ed Middle East 2010 Event in Dubai
Dubai brand positioning as the largest managed ICT cluster in the region was not effected by the bad-publicity and media bashing. In association with Dubai Internet City, Microsoft will bring their first technology event in the region hosted in city, revealing how large the brand equity is at the ICT level. Tech.Ed is Microsoft’s premier technical education and networking event held across various locations globally. To run from 1-3 March, 2010... Read More
IBAG Announces The First Inaugural Conference for Arab Internet Business
IBAG, International Business Alliance Group has announced today the launch of the inaugural conference that will be held in Beirut on March 25th and 26th, 2010 about the trends and opportunities in internet business in the Arab World. ArabNet 2010 is high anticipated to be the first event that brings together internet community to learn from keynote speakers of regional and international experience like Google, Yahoo, AdMob, Intel Capital, Flip Media... Read More
Meet The Geek: Fouad Masoud Envisions His Internet Start-up As His Future Career
This is an interview with an internet start-up guy living in Dubai. This interview is meant to unleash his digital lifestyle; in addition to few insights about the interactive media industry in Middle East. Tarek: Fouad Masoud, can you tell us a bit more about yourself? Fouad: First off thank you Tarek for giving me this opportunity to unleash my geeky lifestyle. Since late 90’s I’ve been working on web design and user-interfaces for renowned... Read More
Communicate Monitor (Jan’10): Flip Media, Eye of Dubai, Qardi.com
Read in Communicate (Issue: January 2010) about interactive/digital media: Very Briefs: Flip Media provides Du’s new website; Eye of Dubai wins best UAE internet website; Saudi first website for laon camparisons, Qardi.com, up and running…. Destination unknown - Marketing a destination can demand a different way of thinking. Visit London is the organized charged with marketing the city of London to the world… The new media is a landscape... Read More
Taya IT Launches In Beta A New Content Discovery Portal for Arabic Web
In an optimistic move towards the internet in the Arab World, a firm specialized in enterprise and internet search applications, Taya IT, announced today the launch of a new content discovery portal which serves as an independent gateway to discover and share the best content on the Arabic Web. Yajeel.com was released in beta featuring a new search engine as well as content-specific categories serving as dedicated portals to the most popular topics... Read More
Masrawy.com Announces Record Annual Growth for 2009
Masrawy.com, Egypt’s leading Arabic News, Media and Entertainment portal, announced strong year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth for the period Dec 2009 compared to last year. Masrawy.com, a LINKonLINE managed web portal, proudly achieved a record annual growth rate that exceeds 100% with an increase in the number of visits to reach 15 million visit per month in 2009. Since its launch in 2000, Masrawy.com has consistently ranked among the most viewed,... Read More
Communicate Monitor (Dec’09): YouTube, Online Games, Digital Agencies
Read in Communicate (Issue: November 2009) about interactive/digital media: Always Game – From World of Warcraft to Whack the Penguin, online gaming is a global phenomenon. And slowly but surely, the Middle East is playing its part. Once a gamer, always a gamer. That’s one saying video game developers like to hear. The world of gaming is a wide and varying as it is entertaining and addictive, but lately there’s one type of game... Read More
The First Brick For Building Mobile Innovation Ecosystem in The MENA Region
Finally mobile innovation ecosystem is taken seriously in the Middle East and North Africa, thanks to Qtel and Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) recent agreement on long term association which will combine Qtel regional footprint in 17 markets, with cutting-edge mobile technology facilities QSTP to provide. This collaboration aims to develop relevant and localized mobile innovations in several areas, such as healthcare, education, banking and... Read More
ictQatar Aims Big On Making Qatar Digital Savvy
The Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) is leading the strategic thinking and implementation of ICT initiatives in e-government, market development and knowledge management, e-education, e-health, e-inclusion, cyber security. Along with their latest event, Mudawanat: All About Blogging, which took place on Dec 12th, 2009 in Qatar (which we covered it through live video broadcasting and tweeting) ictQatar team launches... Read More
Six Days To Go For Mudawanat Event: Check Out Speakers Profile
Mudawanat, a new initiative of ictQATAR encouraging people in Qatar and the Arab world to take the blog-waves. Mudawanat event is happening this Saturday, December 12, 2009, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Sharq Village & Spa in Qatar. The event will feature international and regional blogging experts, as well as interactive workshops. Speakers: Jeremiah Owyang is one of the fresh, young voices on the social media transformation of business.... Read More
Breaking: Yahoo! Ex-SVP Joins Arab Online Community Giant d1g.com
Bassel Ojjeh left Yahoo in October 2009 after his 5 year tenure as SVP of Engineering at the company’s headquarter in Sunnyvale, California. Since then, Mr. Ojjeh has been active in the technology space in the region whereby he joins today d1g.com as an investor and board member. While working at d1g.com Ojjeh’s focus, knowledge, and experience will be instrumental in driving the growth of the company; while maintaining focus on operational... Read More
Egypt IT Spending Projected To Reach USD 1.9 Billion By 2013
IT spending in Egypt is projected to reach highs of USD 1.9 billion by 2013, reflecting a significant jump from its 2008 levels at USD 1.2 billion, according to statistics released by Business Monitor International (BMI) in its ‘Egypt Information Technology Report Q3 2009′. With factors such as growing foreign investment and government spending expected to bolster the growth over the forecasted period, SAS, the leading provider of business... Read More
