Regional research market worth $600m

Hamilton-Clark said that the global market research sector is currently worth a whopping $33.5bn with the Middle East and Africa, considered the smallest region globally, accounting for $600m.

Speaking ahead of next month's Dubai gathering of market research professionals, dubbed the ESOMAR BEST OF MENAP (Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan) 2013 conference, Hamilton-Clark said that the sector's time has come citing the rise in research spend especially in the MENAP region of $293m.

Under the tagline 'Navigating Change for Growth,' the two day meet is expected to attract more than 150 delegates from across the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan.

Echoing his sentiments, Finn Raben, Director General of ESOMAR, the world association for market, social and opinion researchers, said: "Market research brings the real story of people into the boardroom and public decision making; helping leaders in business and public life understand the consumer."

Regional and international market research, advertising and marketing experts will take the stage at the conference, organised by ESOMAR Live, to share regional business and market research issues, as well as learning and networking opportunities.

Eric Salama, Chairman and CEO of Kantar Group, will deliver the keynote address to be followed by expert panel discussions and presentations from guest speakers Lucy Davison of Keen as Mustard Marketing, UK and Jon Puleston, Vice President Innovation, GMI, UK.

"This year's event also sees a dedicated session on 'Communication Insights', to enable marketers to create effective analysis and interpretations of data," said Raben.

The event will throw a spotlight on trends and challenges of post Arab Spring communication in markets such as Egypt and Tunisia, and a session on Health Consciousness Levels - from a consumer perspective. Experts will 'Decode the Real Taste of Arabia' to understand local nuances, attributes, preferences and in depth segmentation of the Arab consumer.

Raben explained that "Returning to Dubai for the second consecutive year and hosting the 'Best of' conference allows for professionals to collaborate and benefit from advanced thinking and idea sharing that is present in today's research industry.

"The Middle East has always been a commercial powerhouse in global terms and we see a demand from the market research community to be a regional 'insight powerhouse' and are thrilled to participate in this role and contribute towards the region's positive development."

Founded in 1948, ESOMAR aims to promote the value of market and opinion research in effective decision-making. Through its codes and guidelines, ESOMAR promotes the highest ethical and professional standards for researchers around the world.