While it is nowhere near reaching its optimum potential, the Arab world is developing the potential to sustain Internet business ventures, concluded the Amman-based Arab Advisors Group (AAG). Its finding were based on a survey of Internet usage in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt.
The AAG group estimated that there are more than 2.04 million Internet users in the eight countries studied, and that figure will increase to more than 3.5 million by 2002. The group also calculated that at the end of 2000, there were more than 3.1 million Arabs using the Internet in North Africa and in the Middle East.
The AAG report said that while not all e-commerce models will succeed in the Arab markets, online ventures targeted exclusively at the Arab market may become profitable more quickly. The group suggested that brick and mortar companies adding an Internet-based channel to their existing operation have the best chances for success. – (Albawaba-MEBG)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
