Alexa MENA’s Dr Raf Fatani shares how the brand is delivering a fully localised experience

Alexa MENA’s Dr Raf Fatani shares how the brand is delivering a fully localised experience

Arabic is among the top five most influential languages in the world. It is also the official language of more than 28 countries with a combined GDP of $2.5tn. There are over 420 million native speakers in the region and worldwide for whom Arabic transcends language to be a part of their heritage and cultural identity. These growing numbers of Arabic-speaking consumers have a real passion for technology: Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the world’s most connected nations, with Internet penetration touching nearly 100 per cent. They are hungry for products and services that relate to their language and culture. We see this in how the region’s young generation uses technology to its fullest, substituting numbers on English keyboards where there was no equivalent for Arabic letters, for instance. They have adapted and Arabised new terminology – even using English words like ‘wi-fi’ and ‘remote’ when the Arabic equivalent is complex or long. Equally, we also have an older generation that remains untouched by the pace of digital evolution. Hence a big part of the localisation puzzle is ensuring the benefits of digital inclusion percolate to every segment of society. My mother, for example, is an English speaker