Description
Book SynopsisAn expert's guide to exploring business opportunities in the burgeoning Arab marketplace This groundbreaking book reveals the myriad opportunities presented by the Arab World's market of 350 million consumers, who collectively wield the ninth-largest economy in the world.
Trade ReviewProf Mahajan s excitement about the Arab world is almost palpable he is a fine writer and he presents factual details, statistics and concepts in a breezy, easy to read manner. (Financial Times, 2nd August 2012) The Arab world deserves reading for presenting a view of the region that is rarely seen. (Money Week, October 2012) This book offers an expert perspective on the boundless business opportunities in the Arab World. (Middle East, November 2012) handy entrepreneurial guide its uniqueness among business guides aimed at a western demographic make it a must-read for those hoping to strike it big in the region (The National, February 2013)
Table of ContentsPreface: A Consumer Rihla xi
Introduction 1
Part I Discovering the Arab World
1 Drinking Red Bull In Dahiyeh 9
The Arab Market is Vibrant and Globally Interconnected
Arab Consumers Control More Spending Power Than You Think
The Shadow Economy
Shades of India and China
Opportunities Beyond Crude Oil and Abaya
Household Spending in the Arab World
Beyond Boycotts and Barriers
Chicken Fights: Local Competition in the Arab Market
The Global Emergence of Arab Brands
A Worldwide Hub: The Globally Connected Arab World
The Arab World is Neither CNN’s nor Al Jazeera’s
2 The Diversity of the Arab World 51
No Harm in Haram
Not All the Consumers in Arab Countries are Arab
The Diversity of Arab Consumers
Segmenting the Arab Consumer Markets
Embracing the Diverse Habits of Arab Consumers
Language Differences
The Market Dominance of Saudi Arabia and the GCC
Saudi Arabia’s Influence Within Other Markets
Think Regional, Act Local
3 Islam Matters: The Impact of the Five Pillars of Islam On Consumers In the Arab World 87
The Difference Between Culture and Religion
Why Shahada Matters
Why Salah Matters
Why Sawm Matters
Why Zakat Matters
Why Hajj and Umrah Matter
Islam in the Everyday
Part II Tapping Into the Well of Arab Consumers
4 The Shabab: Tapping Into The Arab Youth Market 127
The Shabab Demographic Dividend
The Shabab Crave the Best Brands, Wherever They Come From
The Shabab Generation is Molding the Consumer Market
The Shabab Generation is Changing the Arab Workforce
The Shabab are Transforming the Private Sector
The Shabab and Education
The Shabab and Marriage
5 Arabia Two: Tapping Into the Arab Middle Class 157
The Rise of the Middle Class is Changing Arab Consumer Markets
Identifying the Arab Middle Class
Tapping into Arabia Two
Tapping into Arab Consumer Power at All Levels
Urbanization, Modern Trade, and Arabia Two
Arabia Two and the Balance Between Tradition and Modernity
6 Tapping Into the Market of Arab Women 185
Arab Women Have Money to Spend
Educated Women are Reshaping the Arab Market
The Arab Woman as a Consumer
Inside and Outside: The Dual Identities of Arab Women
Tapping into the Arab Beauty Market
The Arab Woman as Wife and Mother
Arab Women as Head of the Household
The Veil Doesn’t Hide the Arab Woman’s Mind
Arab Women as Business Leaders
Arab Women are Reshaping the Region on Their Own Terms
7 Tapping Into the Arab Technology Market 229
The Spread of Internet Use Opens Up New Paths to Consumers
The Rise of Social Media
Tapping into Arab E-Commerce
Using Technology to Recapture the Golden Age
On the Go: The Market for Mobile Phones
Building the High-Tech Industry in Jordan
The Technological Arab Spring
8 Tapping Into the Arab Media and Entertainment Market 257
Television Advertising in the Arab World
Arab Cinema and Film
Dancing in the Desert: Music in the Arab World
Art in the Arab World
Books and Bookstores
The Birth of an Arab Superhero
9 Tapping Into the Arab Diaspora 299
Linking the Diaspora to the Arab World
Remittances Constitute a Critical Piece of Many Arab
Economies
Tapping into the Arab Diaspora
The Arab Diaspora Has Made a Name for Itself
Tapping into Opportunities Around the World
You Can Go Home Again
The Diaspora is Bringing Different Worlds Together
Part III Conclusion
10 Rebranding the Arab World 335
Yalla Arabia!
Capturing the Region’s Yalla Energy with a New Arab Brand
Sustaining the Yalla Energy of Family Businesses
Harvesting the Yalla Energy of Arab Youth
Fueling the Yalla Energy of Arab Entrepreneurs
Enabling a New Yalla Energy Among Disadvantaged Arabs
A Call to Action
The Richness of the Past and the Promise of the Future
Acknowledgments 373
The Author 391
Index 393
