Mideast television adverts spend hits $14bn in 2010

Television advertising expenditure in the Middle East has seen a sustained growth of 78 per cent in 2010 to reach $14 billion, a forum at this year’s Media and Marketing Show (MMS) was told.

Print advertising, in newspapers and magazines comes a distance second with 22 per cent share growth, evidence of the challenges of the new digital age, according to media experts.

The figure for rise in TV ads indicate a significant increase, compared to 2009, where total advertising spend was $12bn, with Egypt overtaking last year’s big spender UAE, to account for 15 per cent of total ad spend, followed by Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the UAE, with 10 per cent, 8 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.

Maysoon Abulhoul, the Managing Director of Domus Group, organisers of the MMS show, attributed the rise in media spending to production of high quality of localised content that has raked in larger audiences, thereby giving fillip to advertising revenues.

“Production of adverts that speak and relate directly to regional audiences is the way to go,” she said, adding that “One cannot separate disengage advertising from production as the two are highly integrated.”

“Consumers tend to associate and identify themselves with specific products, and therefore these challenges have been inculcated in our productions, which in return have proved to be successful,” Abulhoul said.

Social media deal blow to traditional print

Newspapers and magazines ad share meanwhile, have continued to suffer largely due to the trending movement towards internet social media as a means to disseminate information and communicate with the world.

Top media brands such as CNN, BBC, The Economist and indeed Alrroya.com are using social platform like Facebook and Twitter as a medium to engage both new and existing audience. A recent survey revealed that 36 per cent of the UAE’s population is registered on Facebook, making it the leader in the Middle East and North Africa, followed by Qatar with 29 per cent penetration.

“While there is no doubt that social media has dealt a blow to the traditional print publication, these statistics highlight a global movement towards technological advancement as a means to disseminate information and communicate with the world faster,” said Maryam Bin Fahad, the Executive Director of Dubai Press Club.

At this year’s MMS show, the focus is on future trends in broadcast production and advertising within the media industry. Top media companies including O3 Productions, a subsidiary of the MBC Group and Orient-ESJ, the Arab satellite TV group and Ecole Superieure De Journalisme De Paris, the world's oldest school of journalism, are showcasing “The Evolution of Arab Media.”

“The growth and evolution of media advertising and production industry in the Middle East region is vital to the expansion of the entertainment industry," Bin Fahad added.

O3 Productions is demonstrating its expertise in video production and content creation for broadcast media while Orient-ESJ is conducting professional television training workshops to talk about the current developments and the future of the Arab media.

Coverage of region’s issues under spotlight

Emphasising on the need for more localised content, Fadi Ismail, General Manager, O3 Productions, said; “There is a huge demand across the region for quality local content. In order to facilitate better local output, the media zones across the UAE have provided a comprehensive platform for production companies.”

Prominent exhibitors from the broadcast industry include Orient TV, Al Aquaria TV, Decision Makers, Fujairah Media, and Busy Bee Studios. Aside from broadcast, representatives from Maktoob.com, Ayna Corporation, Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram and Ras Al Khaimah Media City are also exhibiting at the show.

Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City are the official hosts of the 3-day event aimed at providing a networking platform and educational resource for media and marketing professionals.

“As the leading media hubs in the region, we are committed to supporting events such as MMS that generate a positive impact on the growth of this fast-growing industry in the UAE and the region,” Jamal Al Sharif, Managing Director of Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City earlier told reporters.

Top media personalities working for the popular Russian TV news channel that broadcasts in Arabic, Rusiya Al-Yaum, moderated an intense discussion titled: “Audience reaction to Middle East coverage by international Arabic-language media”. Other industry personalities leading the debates include, Abd al-Bari Atwan, the editor-in chief of the London-based Pan-Arab newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Nabil Al Khatib and Executive Editor at the Al Arabiya channel.