Dubai: Deloitte’s recent TMT (technology, media and telecommunications) Predictions 2015 highlight real growth opportunities for content creators across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, focusing particularly on short-form content and Digital Islamic Services.
Mohammad Abdullah, managing director of Tecom’s Media Cluster, has called for content creators to join these vibrant business communities, which already provide a home to content creators from around the world — to enable their further development and growth.
Deloitte predicts that long-form content, which is expected to generate over $400 billion from advertising and subscription revenues alone, represents a significant growth opportunity, particularly given the insatiable appetite for online, short-form content in the Middle East.
Digital Islamic Services, which includes any technology or media online product or service that addresses the needs of consumers in the Islamic economy, will also be a strong area of growth over the next few years. Deloitte predicts that the region’s Digital Islamic Economy will nearly double in size in terms of Muslim consumer spend on lifestyle products and services, to reach $30 billion by 2018.
“The environment for content creators has never been as competitive as it is today, with consumers able to access almost unlimited amounts of content on their smartphones, and it is important that creators of content are given the right support and market for their output and to fill a niche.
“With large industry players adopting the short-form video format, whose new ventures we continue to support, it is more important now than ever that creators of online content are given the right support and environment to operate. We continue to encourage creators of content from around the world to join our business communities, and ensure that creativity and competition is nurtured across the industry.”
