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Browsing Faculty Works by Author "Abuhmaid, Hadil"

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    How the Middle East used Social Media in 2020
    (New Media Academy, 2021-03) Radcliffe, Damian; Abuhmaid, Hadil
    This report is the ninth in an annual series of publications, dating back to 2012, showcasing the latest developments in social media across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This year’s study is produced in partnership with the New Media Academy. The New Media Academy was inaugurated in June 2020, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and ruler of Dubai, to work within the space of development, with a focus on harnessing opportunities in the digital space. Using a broad range of industry, academic and media sources, we dive into the trends - and biggest stories - which shaped MENA’s relationship with social media during the past year. Not surprisingly, this study is heavily influenced by the impact of COVID-19. The novel coronavirus impacted on everyone’s lives around the world, including the Middle East. One by-product of the pandemic could be seen in our changing media habits. Social media usage - across all platforms - increased during the early stages of the outbreak. More widely, given the importance of social media in our media diets, platforms, industry and governments alike sought to use these networks to promote public health messages, as well as counter misinformation related to the COVID crisis. Alongside these developments, we have also seen continued investment in content on social media platforms - especially during Ramadan - and growing partnerships between traditional media players and social media channels and influencers. These developments reflect the popularity of high quality digital content consumed on social media, and a desire to reach audiences on these platforms, or bring existing social audiences onto other networks. We expect that this synergy will only rise, not least because many media habits developed during the pandemic may well continue post-COVID. As a result, social networks will become an increasingly important source for talent spotting, as well as a key avenue for content and information consumption. This trend, as we outline at the end of this report, matters for brands, creators and influencers, as well as governments and other public entities. Social media is already an important part of digital media habits and digital marketing strategies. In 2021, that importance looks set to continue and grow even further.
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    How the Middle East Uses Social Media: 2021 edition
    (New Media Academy, 2022-03-10) Radcliffe, Damian; Abuhmaid, Hadil
    This is the tenth report in a series of annual studies exploring the latest social media trends across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It dives into developments on major networks (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Twitter), emerging platforms (TikTok, LinkedIn and Clubhouse) as well as messaging apps (WhatsApp, Yalla and Telegram). It also examines the role of Influencers, and how COVID-19 and Online Misinformation played out on social media in 2021.
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    Social Media in the Middle East 2022: A Year in Review
    (University of Oregon, 2023-03-31) Radcliffe, Damian; Abuhmaid, Hadil; Mahliaire, Nii
    Welcome to the latest annual study on Middle East Social Media Trends. This report, the eleventh in a series dating back to 2012, provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of social media in the Middle East. As the most comprehensive and up-to-date study of its kind, it is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the region's digital landscape. In this report, we examine the most popular social media platforms and the ways in which people are using them. We explore the impact of social media on politics, business and culture in the region. Our findings will be of interest to anyone interested in how social media shapes the way we connect with one another, as well as the ways in which we consume and find information. These trends are relevant to marketers, journalists, brands and businesses, as well as government agencies and public bodies. Over the past decade, the Middle East has seen a significant increase in social media adoption. Today, it boasts some of the highest penetration rates of social media in the world, making it a key market for platforms and businesses looking to engage with Arab audiences. From staying in touch with friends and family to consuming news and entertainment, social media - as it is around the world - is an integral part of daily life in the region. Social media is also playing an increasingly important role in politics, with many politicians and activists using the platforms to connect with the public and mobilize support for their policies.
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    Social Media in the Middle East: 2019 in review
    (2020-01-11) Radcliffe, Damian; Abuhmaid, Hadil
    This report is the eighth in an annual series of publications, dating back to 2012, designed to share the latest stories, trends and research in social media usage from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Using a wide variety of academic, industry and media sources, this White Paper identifies important insights from social media’s development over the previous year. Of particular note in 2019 is the continued, growing, importance of social media in the lives of Arab Youth, outside of Saudi Arabia and Turkey the declining usage of Twitter (once the poster child social network for the Arab Spring,) as well as greater scrutiny of social media usage by platform owners and governments alike. Last year’s report highlighted the increasing weaponization of social networks, a trend which continued in 2019. Facebook, Twitter and Telegram each closed hundreds of accounts due to inappropriate use by state sponsored actors and terrorist groups. Social networks were also the target of governments across MENA, in the midst of protests in many countries throughout the region. Meanwhile, the importance of social video and visually-led social networks, continued to grow from strength to strength. Snapchat introduced new advertising formats to the region and other exclusive functionality, Google highlighted the importance of YouTube in supporting parents and parenting, and in major markets such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Twitter has emerged as a leading platform for online video consumption. The year ahead is likely to result in a continuation of many of the trends outlined in this report, as social media becomes increasingly engrained across the lives of businesses, governments and residents across the MENA region.