Under the patronage and with the presence of H.E. Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Homoud Al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, ArabNet announces the launch of its first major conference in Kuwait on October 4-5, highlighting Digital trends and opportunities in Kuwait and the region. ArabNet Kuwait conference will gather over 500 leading executives and decision-makers driving digital growth in Kuwait and MENA, while showcasing the latest innovations and highlighting promising entrepreneurs.
After the success of ArabNet’s conferences in Dubai, Riyadh and Beirut, we are thrilled to assist in creating investment opportunities and further growth in the Kuwaiti digital space, alongside Government and Private Sector efforts, said Omar Christidis, ArabNet Founder and CEO.
According to Payfort, the Kuwaiti eCommerce market was estimated at $1.26B in 2015, coupled with a high GDP and a 91% Internet penetration rate. The ArabNet Kuwait conference will tackle the trends and opportunities in e-commerce, as well as omnichannel retail, online payments, digital banking and business transformation.
Kuwait currently leads in MENA in digital media adoption, on major social platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram, and is home to GCC’s most important online influencers; not to mention a social media penetration rate of 96% (one of the highest globally). ArabNet Kuwait looks to highlight social media platforms and trends, native and programmatic advertising and video content. ArabNet is partnering with the International Advertising Association (IAA) this year to engage the media and advertising communities in the country – described by IAA Kuwait President Walid Kanafani as a “one-of-a-kind strategic partnership to champion the interests of all the disciplines across the spectrum of marketing communications”. “IAA Kuwait will be working with ArabNet in close coordination for the benefit of the industry”.
Following the $7B Kuwait National Fund for SME development in 2013, and other initiatives taken on by the Ministry of Youth, the market has witnessed a surge in entrepreneurship support and institutions, from funds, to co-working spaces, angels and investors. The region’s largest international exit since Yahoo! Maktoob in 2009, Talabat.com is a testament to the growing digital ecosystem in the country. In the words of Talabat.com CEO, Mohammed Jaffar:
Kuwait has all the needed resources to be the leading technology hub in the Middle East. Given the increasing investment appetite towards technology startups, I have to say that opportunities today for entrepreneurs are more than ever. Kuwait is heading in the right direction.
ArabNet plays a key role in supporting the most promising regional innovators, and matching them with the right investors. Workshops target startup founders to boost their businesses, while ArabNet’s signature competitions, Ideathon and Startup Demo, provide the opportunities for entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas and/or companies.
The ArabNet Kuwait 2016 conference will be held on October 4 – 5 at the Arraya Ballroom, on Al Shuhada Street in Kuwait City. Past ArabNet events have notably attracted top speakers, participants, and partners from corporations such as Smart Dubai, OMD, Souq.com, Du, Touch, Alfa, TBWA, Facebook, DMS, Majid Al Futtaim, JWT, STC, Twitter, Starcom, Criteo, SkyNews, VISA, Leo Burnett, Deloitte, LBC, Microsoft, Uber, Vivaki, GE, MakerStudios (Disney), FP7, 500Startups, International New York Times, and many more.
To learn more, go to: https://www.arabnet.me/conference/kuwait/
