Twitter follows Facebook and LinkedIn in Middle East sales push

Twitter has joined Facebook and LinkedIn in boosting its operations in the Middle East and North Africa, having appointed a local representative to handle sales.

The microblogging site has appointed Connect Ads - a subsidiary of Egypt's OTVentures, which is an affiliate of Orascom Telecom Media and Technology - to manage sales in Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The company will also provide education and training programmes for agencies and large advertisers in the region to learn how best to use Twitter in their campaigns.

"Mena is one of Twitter's fastest-growing regions and we are seeing significant interest from marketers there who want to use our Promoted Products to build their businesses and connect with consumers,” said Shailesh Rao, Twitter's vice president of international revenue.

“This is the next step in expanding Twitter's international presence, building on top of our recent launch in Latin America earlier this year.”

Twitter's appointment a regional sales representative follows moves by Facebook and LinkedIn to open offices in Dubai Internet City.

The growth of social media across Mena is one of the highest in the world, paving the way for growth in digital advertising.

According to research firm Emarketer, spending on digital advertising in the Middle East accounts for about 3.5 per cent of total advertising spend, but growth of about 48 per cent is expected.