Online advertising in Middle East has been the fastest growing segment in the advertising industry, representing highest potential in the region with a large young, socially engaged and informed population driving the spending on internet and mobile platforms. Middle East comprises of more than 50% of the population below the age of 25, representing an inherent strength for the online media industry as young population would be the early adopters of technology driving the growth of online advertising industry.
Verticals such as e-commerce, m-commerce and online gaming have witnessed increased activity in the region with a strong uptake of tablets and smart phones. Spending on online advertising industry in the region attained a mark of USD ~ million in 2012, representing a CAGR of 64.6% during 2007-2012. The growth has largely been driven by leading Middle Eastern countries such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar, all of which have a large population base of youngsters who spend a significant proportion of their time online and have the willingness and capacity to spend on electronic commerce.
Online advertisement spending in UAE was largely concentrated in industries such as banking and finance, real estate, automotive and telecom services