Twitter has announced that it’s opening an office in Dubai. The social network is tremendously popular in the Middle East, and will look to increase its ad sales and partnerships in the region with its new outpost.
Shailesh Rao, vice president of Asia Pacific, Latin America and Emerging Markets made the announcement of its first office in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit today.
Said Rao, “MENA is a key strategic market for us and our new Dubai office will serve as the focal point to help our development across the region.
“Dubai is a regional hub for many brands and advertising agencies and we are excited to build a team on the ground here who can work with partners directly, helping them get the most out of Twitter.”
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It’s possible that the company might also work with television channels and producers to boost its presence in the region. Rao said, “TV was a significant catalyst — we saw a 200 percent increase in TV conversations between 2013 and 2014.”
Twitter has been experimenting with a second-screen experience for TV shows, and could certainly find an audience for it there.
The social network initially began selling ads on its network in 2013, after it signed on Connect Ads in Cairo as a representative in the Middle East. With roughly six million users in the region, there’s a lot of ground for Twitter to gain with a dedicated sales team.
➤ Shailesh Rao [Twitter]
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