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GCC Digital Marketing Services

Are you trying to reach potential customers in the GCC? You’ve come to the right place.

As a GCC digital marketing agency offer a variety of Internet marketing services for companies targeting the GCC region and the rest of the Arab world. We offer SEO, PPC, Display Advertising, Email Marketing, and more in both Arabic and English. Below we will get into some specific insights about the region and how to market there.

 

GCC Marketing Agency Services

 

What is the GCC?

The GCC stands for the Gulf Cooperation Council and is a union of the majority of the countries in the Arabian Peninsula or Arab states on the east side of the Persian Gulf. Below is a list of countries that are part of the GCC.

 

 

Although Iraq is on the Persian Gulf, it is not part of the GCC. Oddly enough, the countries of Jordan, Morocco, and Yemen are all seeking to become part of the GCC one day despite the fact that they are not located on the Persian Gulf.

The GCC provides strong economic and political ties between countries in the region and fosters an environment that makes business between the countries possible.

Due to strife in other regions of the Arab world, the GCC is by far the most lucrative market to do business in. With the abundance of petrol dollars and the rapidly developing tourism and business sectors in the region, companies with a global presence stand to see large gains from investments in the region.

The GCC is also home to a range of rapidly growing cities becoming hubs for international finance and tourism. While cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi certainly have name recognition, other cities in the region are also gaining prominence. Jeddah in Saudi Arabia recently was recognized by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) for its role as a primary city in global economic networks. After receiving international attention for the FIFA World Cup in 2022, Doha, Qatar has attracted unprecedented numbers of international tourists. In short: exciting opportunities are abound in the GCC, making now a great time for interested international businesses to tap into the market.

 

What makes Internet marketing in the GCC unique?

 

Culture

The Culture of the Gulf region is quite unique and is extremely important to doing business in the region. Having respect for local customs, traditions, gender roles, and religions is a key part of doing well in this booming region. Companies looking to expand their presence into this region must either spend time getting to know and understand the various aspects of this culture or work with a local partner.

One unique aspect of the GCC countries is the large presence of foreign nationals (expats) in the region, in fact, about half of the population is comprised of expats. Many come from within the Middle East: for example, there are currently over 400,000 Egyptian citizens living in the UAE alone. Expats in the GCC come from all over the world, from Europe to Africa to South Asia. In total, there are currently over 30 million expats in the GCC region, which makes for a rich cultural diversity in the region.

 

Language

Arabic is the main and official language of the GCC. Though business is done in English in many situations and cities like Dubai, to market to the majority of the population of this region, you must do it in Arabic. Many online businesses that started in the region with just English have been astonished to see how much their sales and engagement grow once their site is translated into Arabic. To take it even further, businesses who are looking to target their sales in one particular GCC country could strengthen their local appeal by using Arabic dialect. While all the dialects in the GCC region are mutually understandable, each country’s dialect is unique and an important aspect of the national cultural identity.

 

Consumer demographics and behavior

Arabs have unique online behaviors when compared to other regions of the world. Understanding this can mean all the difference between a successful GCC digital marketing campaign and one that fails to connect with your target audience. For example, video content is extremely popular in countries like Saudi Arabia, which has the highest per capita usage of YouTube in the world. Knowing the needs, wants, behaviors, and trends in the region is a fundamental part of reaching different demographics in the Persian Gulf region.

 

Online marketing channels

Due to some of the factors mentioned above, many of the Internet marketing channels in the region have unique challenges that they may not have in other regions of the world. In SEO and PPC for example we find that the Arabic language creates some challenges related to how pages and ads are optimized. With display advertising campaigns, advertisers need to be careful to make sure banner advertisements aren’t offensive to more conservative groups within the GCC. Email marketing has to take into account similar concerns as well.

 

In conclusion, the GCC is a thriving economy full of opportunities for businesses looking to expand into the MENA region. Companies seeking to market online in the GCC do, however need to understand some of the unique challenges that can present themselves in the region. Working with an online marketing company that understands the region can help to bridge this gap between the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly growing area of the Middle East.

 

Are you interested in working with a GCC digital marketing agency to grow your online presence in the GCC. Contact us today to find out how we can help you to surpass your marketing goals in the region.

 

 

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Jordan Boshers

Jordan Boshers is the Chief Digital Strategist at IstiZada, a digital agency that helps companies market to Arabs. He has 12+ years of experience running successful digital marketing campaigns in the Arab world. His insights into Arabic SEO helped him grow previously unknown websites to dominate Arabic niches on Google including growing one site from 0 to more than 2.5 million users monthly. Jordan has consulted for hundreds of companies including helping corporations like Amazon, Berlitz, and Exxon Mobil with their Arabic digital marketing. Learn more here or on LinkedIn.

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