At the start of this year, the Messaging Me teams had the opportunity to make an exploratory trip to the United Arab Emirates. The experience was so rich in lessons that we thought it essential to share with you our discoveries about this market, which, seen from Paris, is still little-known.
Firstly, it's crucial to emphasize the dynamism and capacity for innovation that have characterized the United Arab Emirates for over a decade now. Our immersion in this ecosystem enabled us to understand that Dubai must be seen as a strategic crossroads for approaching a region in full effervescence: Saudi Arabia, in particular, with its ambitious transformation projects (opening up to tourism, developing skills and employment among Saudis, promoting female employment, etc.) is a market to be considered systematically, particularly given its demography (36 million inhabitants). Seen from Dubai, a strategic business approach must therefore encompass the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Another striking aspect is the central role of digital technology and the prevalence of instant messaging in daily usage. In Dubai, where expatriate populations are not always fluent in English or spoken Arabic, messaging services like WhatsApp play a central role in exchanges. For example, the location-sharing feature is indispensable, especially in a context where mapping is not as precise as in Europe.
Unlike in Europe, many companies have already integrated messaging as a preferred channel for communicating with their customers, although these initiatives don't always fully grasp the potential of messaging. Brands are even launching simple versions, like this home dry-cleaning account where WhatsApp is a digital hub that serves as much as a promotional tool as an incentive to download their mobile application. There's also a significant legal acceleration: there's no need for customers to opt-in to WhatsApp if they've already clicked on a social ad, for example, making it easier for them to adopt the service!
Last but not least, our trip revealed a business culture marked by a velocity and optimism that are impressive from a French perspective. When we presented our exploratory project for Messaging Me, the response was direct: our consulting offer is relevant, complementary to the tek players, this is where the opportunities lie, and we should establish ourselves without delay! Some of the people we spoke to even expressed an immediate interest in product-format offers, asking us straight away what sectors we would prioritize. All in all, some key learnings on the business criteria: we have to make it simple to tell the story, packaged it, be explicit in our commitment to results, and absolutely stick to deadlines. Fast and furious Dubai touch! We'll be there to meet the challenge
This experience has confirmed our conviction that Dubai, and more broadly the GCC, are still uncharted territory for innovation and tech development in particular. And the public and institutional players are obviously essential, while at the same time having a private company mindset, a real insight. We look forward to continuing this adventure and helping to shape the future of digital communications in this dynamic region!
Thanks again to everyone we met and chatted with, who made this business both inspiring and fun! To those of you already working in the region, we'll be in touch any time!
