Informa Telecoms & Media opens new office in Dubai

The new office reaffirms Informa's commitment to supporting the Middle East telecom industry. The market is witnessing an unprecedented level of growth and global expansion.

A continued demand for mobile, fixed-line and pay-TV services in the region, along with the expectations of several Gulf operators moving up to the global level, have led Informa to boost its presence in the region.

As part of its efforts to remain the authority on all maters in the industry, the new Dubai office will provide crucial support and advice to the region's telecom and media industry. This will be accomplished through Informa's range of services including core data products, World Cellular Information Service (WCIS) and World Broadband Information Service (WBIS), as well as its industry analysis tool, Intelligence Centre.

The Informa team stressed that the latent potential of the industry was pivotal in their decision to open the new Dubai office.

"The Middle East harbours some of the most surprising and impressive stories in the worldwide telecom industry. The ambitions of some of the Gulf's biggest players, along with the sustained growth rate in mobile penetration, has created an environment that has attracted considerable attention. Given the global economic scene, our services will be crucial in navigating this emerging market,"

stated Mike Woolfrey , Informa Telecoms & Media Managing Director - Industry Research.

Expansion into other emerging markets is at the centre of many of the Gulf-based operator strategies. This is clearly demonstrated by the most recent reports of Informa Telecoms & Media 's World Cellular Investors (WCI) database. Taking year-on-year growth into account, three of the five fastest risers - Qtel, Etisalat, and Zain - originate from the Gulf.

With Eitsalat striving to become one of the ten largest telecoms groups in the world by 2010, and Zain by 2011, these operators will become even more acquisitive in their attempts to become global players.

The opportunities in the Middle East are at an all time high. The region has one of the most advanced and exciting telecoms markets in the world. Saudi Arabia 's number two operator Mobily has one of the largest mobile broadband customer bases in the world. New entrants to fixed-line markets include leading international operators such as Vodafone and PCCW. On top of this, Iraq and Iran are expected to see record growth.

These market trends convinced the team at Informa that a new regional office was crucial for their efforts to serve their clients. "This new office will help our clients, in that it consolidates our already substantial regional expertise," added Woolfrey. "By having an office in such a strategic location, we're adding to our primary research capability and ensuring we remain the best-connected, most reliable research house in the market."

Dubai was chosen by Informa due to its importance in region, both in the field of telecoms and in the economy in general. The region is at the forefront of developments in the fixed-line market. In 2009, the UAE will have one of the highest percentages of homes passed with FTTH in the world, thanks to operators such as Etisalat and du. Building on this platform, they are launching high-quality IPTV services into markets where low-cost and free-to-air analogue DTH has been the norm.

"Given the nature of the Middle Eastern market, I think now is the perfect time for us to open this office," added Mark Newman, Chief Research Officer. "The demand for mobile, fixed-line and pay-TV services in the region is at an all time high, and we only see it increasing in the next few years. In terms of mobile subscription numbers, we're predicating that 2008 will have witnessed 39 million net additions across the Middle East. This brings the overall figure to 144 million. Furthermore, there will be an estimated 22.6 million new net subscriptions in 2009. Given the burgeoning nature of the market, coupled with the current global economic environment, this is a critical time for investors and mobile operators. Our services and expertise are now more vital than ever."

Woolfrey agreed, stating, "This is a critical time for the region, and Informa is going to analyze it every step of the way."