Just three in ten Internet users in the Middle East and North Africa purchase goods and services online according to a new survey published by online research company Effective Measure and Spot On Public Relations. The survey of almost 7,000 Internet users across the MENA region shows that the GCC leads with some 43% of Internet users buying products or services online. However, overall the region lags behind other markets when it comes to online shopping, particularly when compared with developed markets such as the United Kingdom, where some 62% of all Internet users shop online.

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According to a new survey published by Effective Measure and carried out in collaboration with Spot On Public Relations, Internet users in the Middle East are spending more time online that watching television. The survey was conducted among more than 2500 internet users, and has revealed that 88% of internet users in the region access the internet daily, where 71% of respondents said they watched television daily.

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According to a new study from Real Options titled “Here & Now”, 60% of UAE Internet users favour behavioural targeting for customised advertising and Internet content, whilst 76% said their searches for products and visits to websites should never be monitored unless they have given express permission to do so beforehand.

Furthermore, the survey shows that consumers are increasingly attracted to the convenience and relevance that behavioural targeting brings to online content but also have concerns regarding the ways in which data about their online habits is collected.

Another outcome of the survey was that people were more negative generally about promotions that targeted mobile phones, with 51% of people surveyed in the UAE being against SMS advertising.

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According to a new report form Spot On Public Relations, there are more subscribers to Facebook in MENA than there are newspaper copies circulated in the region. The report ‘Middle East and Africa Facebook Demographics’ shows that Facebook has over 15 million users, while the total regional Arabic, English and French newspaper circulation stands at just under 14 million copies.

Five country markets in MENA now account for some 70% of Facebook users; Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

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Taking place from 18 to 20 October, the 2009 edition of SIM aims "to be an effective and inclusive platform for marketing and communications professionals to address benefits, challenges and solutions for the new media revolution, and how to remain ahead of the curve with a complete PR strategy."

Signage, Imaging and Media Exhibition and Conference presents Digital Signage Forum, Google AdWorks Workshop, Outdoor Advertising Forum and Digital Printing Forum, bringing together key sectors and players from the region's marketing and communications industry. 

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