How the Middle East used Social Media in 2020

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dc.contributor.authorRadcliffe, Damian
dc.contributor.authorAbuhmaid, Hadil
dc.date.accessioned2021-04-13T23:53:31Z
dc.date.available2021-04-13T23:53:31Z
dc.date.issued2021-03
dc.description64 pagesen_US
dc.description.abstractThis 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.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNew Media Academyen_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.7264/1jyd-5t94
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/26152
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.7264/1jyd-5t94
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherNew Media Academyen_US
dc.rightsCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USen_US
dc.subjectMiddle Easten_US
dc.subjectsocial mediaen_US
dc.subjectsocial networken_US
dc.subjectsocial networkingen_US
dc.subjectMiddle East and North Africaen_US
dc.subjectMENAen_US
dc.subjectdigitalen_US
dc.subjectdigital transformationen_US
dc.subjectCOVID-19en_US
dc.subjectFacebooken_US
dc.subjectTwitteren_US
dc.subjectTikToken_US
dc.subjectYouTubeen_US
dc.subjectSocial Media Influencersen_US
dc.subjectSnapchaten_US
dc.subjectInstagramen_US
dc.subjectOnline misinformationen_US
dc.titleHow the Middle East used Social Media in 2020en_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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