Factors that affect the use of Facebook and Twitter as marketing tools in the UAE

The Arab Spring has brought a lot of attention to the use of social media in the Arab world. Whether social media was one of the catalysts or the sole agent of the socio-political movement has been an object of endless debate. Nevertheless, it can be agreed that social media usage has increased in the region and is paving the way for enduring changes in all spheres of public and private life. Globally, social media is increasingly being used as a marketing tool replacing traditional media. In the Arab world however, businesses seem to be wary of using the medium. This reticence could be due to the negative sentiments created by the use of social media against establishments during the Arab Spring. Also social media is a late bloomer in the Emirates. The public as well as firms need time to warm up to this medium effectively. This paper attempts to explore the use of social media, in particular - Facebook and Twitter - as marketing tools by businesses in the UAE. Facebook and Twitter are two of the most popular social media in the region. The restrictions on sites like Orkut and VOIP like Skype could have contributed to increased traffic to these social media site

Using Instagram as Online Shopping Channel: Key Predictors of Consumers’ Purchase Involvement on Instagram in Saudi Arabia

This study examined key predictors of Saudi consumers’ purchase involvement on Instagram. An online snowball sampling approach was used to reach Saudis via social media, with 1,671 Saudis recruited as valid samples. Results suggested Saudis’ frequency of Instagram shopping, Instagram credibility, and Instagram seller credibility as three major factors toward Saudis’ purchase involvement. Saudis who reported higher Instagram credibility and Instagram seller credibility would be more likely to involve with online shopping on Instagram. As two personality variables (materialism and self-esteem) were not found as powerful as other experiential variables to impact Saudis’ purchase involvement on Instagram, marketing channel planners who intend to use Instagram as a key online shopping tool should attempt to secure shopping privacy and payment safety on Instagram. Moreover, as Saudis’ positive attitudes were activated toward seller credibility, privacy security, and payment security on Instagram, Instagram becomes an effective shopping tool for Saudi consumers

Review of Research on Culture and ICT: Insights from the Arab World

Most published research on information and communication technology (ICT) application has been in the context of advanced economies of the world, particularly western countries, viz. Europe and North America. Research on ICT impact on socio-economic development has been primarily focused on eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Relatively little research has been published on ICT in the Arab world. But better appreciation of the role of Arab culture on ICT use may help in providing guidance for more successful implementation of ICT in the future. To help ascertain this role we reviewed the literature between 2003 and 2016 focusing on ICT implementation in Arabic speaking countries