What is White Friday?

Amazon (formerly Souq) , the largest e-commerce site in the Arab world, first introduced the idea of White Friday as a grand sale to the region in 2014 as a way of increasing internet traffic and, in turn, their sales. Then CEO and co-founder of the company, Ronaldo Mouchawar, attended university in the United States, during which he became acquainted with the wild sales phenomenon that is Black Friday. After witnessing firsthand how Americans seemed to go crazy for the discounts and deals, he decided to bring a similar event to the region with his e-commerce company. However, he decided to put a little spin on it. White Friday takes an American tradition and alters it slightly to be more compatible with the region. To create a successful, new regional phenomenon, Mouchawar had to resonate closely with the culture of the Middle East. (more…)

Dear UAE Residents,

We are issuing an urgent warning to all residents of the UAE about a sophisticated online fraud scheme that is currently targeting unsuspecting individuals. It has come to our attention that a crime syndicate is using our company name, IstiZada, to deceive working individuals in the UAE into parting with their money.

Fraudulent Activity Overview

This fraudulent activity involves the crime syndicate copying our company name, logo, website, and various images and content to trick individuals into thinking they are dealing with IstiZada. These scammers are using WhatsApp and other online platforms to lure victims into performing small tasks with the promise of payment. Once the tasks are completed, victims are asked to deposit money into specific bank accounts for “credit improvement” before they can withdraw their earnings. These deposits are never returned, and the promised payments are never made.

How to Protect Yourself

-Verify Website Authenticity: Always ensure that you are interacting with our official website, istizada.com. Any other website claiming to be IstiZada is fraudulent.

-Be Cautious of Unsolicited Messages: Do not trust messages from unknown individuals or numbers on WhatsApp or other social media platforms that promise quick money for simple tasks. We will never contact you via a +971 number on WhatsApp.

-Avoid All Requests for Money: IstiZada will never ask individuals to deposit money into a bank account for any reason related to task payments or credit improvements. IstiZada only requests money from businesses, not individuals. No one working for IstiZada has ever had to send Istizada money. 

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If you’re looking to take your marketing in the Arab world to the next level this post will provide and in-depth look into seasonal marketing opportunities in the Arab world. Feel free to use this post to help you plan out your seasonal promotions to Arab consumers in countries across the in Middle East.

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In the business of online marketing in the Middle East, our company frequently receives questions about Arabic domains. How do Arabic domains work? What is their history? And most importantly, does my business need one? Marketers and online business owners need to understand how to effectively answer these questions as they relate to their businesses.

There are many unresolved questions and currently not enough information available on the Internet to answer them. As this is the first real guide that delves comprehensively into this topic, we hope to answer many of the burning questions you may have. (more…)