Celia Peterson is the managing director of arabianEye, a leading Middle Eastern visual content provider, based out of Dubai Media City. We talked to Celia about growth and competition in the region's digital images market.

Q1. Kindly introduce yourself and your company.

My name is Celia Peterson and I am the managing director of arabianEye, the largest Middle Eastern visual content provider, based out of Dubai Media City. We supply the world with Middle Eastern images for both editorial and commercial markets, with clients ranging from Time Magazine and the National Geographic to Middle East-based advertising agencies and corporations. We work on 3 levels as follows: customers can either buy an image which has already been shot (our Stock Library on arabianEye.com) or you can commission one of our photographers for original content. If you decide to commission one of our photographers, arabianEye will pull together the full production for you: models, locations, stylists, make up, art direction etc.

Q2. How has the Internet revolutionized the image business? Is there sufficient awareness in the Middle East?

The stock image library business has changed beyond recognition in the last 10 years due to the Internet and digitalization of assets. Image libraries have advanced from storing all physical images to predominantly only having digital assets on file.Now when a client requires an image, we can ftp, email or allow the customer to access the image via the website instead of the not so recent past when you would have to bike over a duplicate of a film which was a very costly and slow procedure. Technological advancement has now reached the stage where small image librariescan connect their website systems to widely distribute to a truly global audience and thereby have a chance of competing with the industry giants on a worldwide level.

Q3. Tell us about the regional market potential, the nature of demand (what type of images are top sellers) and how advanced are the levels of services onoffer in the Middle East compared to abroad?

The Middle Eastern image market is thriving with new agencies launching and good new photographers moving to the region to join the existing talent pool. The demand for original Arab content and heightened creativity is fueling the growth and arabianEye is at the centre of this growth. We stay closely in touch with our customers’ expectations and market trends and produce further content as a result ofthis research. The level of service in Dubai is fantastic: not only can clients visit a number of locally-grown libraries, but the international giants have also set up offices in the last 3 yearsto better service their customers based in the region. The variety of localized images in no way matches what would be available if you were looking for pictures featuring western models but as market demand increases so does the production of original arab content. There is a strong need for fresh new imagery in the region and the over-used clichés are being revolutionized by arabianEye as is evident in its’ bold new collections.

Q4. Is there strong competition already in this field? What about international players producing regional collections and what's your differentiating factor?

Competition in the photography and image library business is increasing every day with a 100% increase in the number of regional players since 2007. arabianEye sees this as a great opportunity to advance the quality of the industry both in terms ofnumbers of images available and the choice of photographers. Some international libraries have shot their own content but often with cultural blunders or blatant and laughable styling errors. The small sizes of their collections to date mean they are not seen by a wide audience. arabianEye clients know they can come to us and find the regional image they require. arabianEye sets itself apart by being the largest Middle Eastern content provider,with the most creative and versatile collection. arabianEye is an international player and well over half of its clients are based outside the Middle East. We also set ourselves apart with the knowledge of our team, our customer service and our longevity in the market.