Ranks 17th followed by Qatar at 24th in the world list of countries

Dubai – 11th May 2010: A recent survey published by ‘Facebakers’ (www.facebakers.com) revealed that 36 percent of the UAE’s population is registered on Facebook, making it the leader in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region , followed by Qatar with 29 percent penetration. Leading the list globally, surprisingly, is Iceland with 61 percent, followed by Norway with 53 percent and Canada with 47 percent .

Out of the 1,600,000 users registered across the UAE, 63 percent are male and 37 percent are female. In comparison, the USA has a Facebook penetration of 40.76 percent where female users comprise 56 percent of registered users as compared to 44 percent male.

“These statistics highlight a global movement towards social media as a means to disseminate information and communicate with the world. It also portrays Facebook as one of the leader in this segment,” said Jean-Renaud Durbin, general manager at THECONTENT|FACTORY, a Dubai-based integrated marketing communications agency. “We have witnessed the real strength in using social media platforms to energize our clients’ businesses quickly and cost effectively.”

Social media platforms are closing the information gap between the east and west, north and south, where to connect, all that is required is an Internet connection. The Middle East and specifically the UAE are therefore catching up with more technologically advanced countries, including the USA and UK.

In terms of media and marketing, Facebook has become a platform not to be overlooked. World leading media brands such as CNN, BBC and The Economist are using this social platform as a medium to target and engage both new and existing audience.

“Facebook in the UAE has seen its users grow by 11 percent over the past six months. Therefore, it is even more important to follow an integrated communications approach in terms of distribution in order to reach the right audiences at the right time,” concluded Durbin.