February 16, 2006
Mobile phones now major contributor to Arab stock markets and GDP
The biggest survey ever carried out into the mobile-phone industry in the Middle East has produced a series of astonishing statistics as well as some insightful observations on the social changes it has effected throughout the region, reports Lebanon's Daily Star.
"The industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs inside and outside the sector, boosting economic growth and fostering social harmony and security, according to the report published Wednesday.
... the report analyzes the consequences of mobile-phone penetration across all genres of media. In a case study of Saudi Arabia, where the trend of media convergence was initiated, the show Star Academy spawned SMS interactive television. The revenues from SMS-television marriage now account for at least 70 percent of the annual gross for most music and gaming television channels in the region.
The 140-page report can be downloaded in its entirety on www.mtctelecom.com.
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