Qatari companies including banks are forecast to get a boost from a deal to end a more than three-year row between Doha and some Gulf states, which was announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.

QNB Financial Services Research, part of Qatar’s biggest bank, said in a note that Qatari banks are set to benefit from the GCC resolution agreed at a Gulf summit on Tuesday “based on general investor optimism as domestic banks had immaterial exposure to the blockading countries”.

The Qatari stock index closed 1.4% higher on Tuesday, leading other Gulf markets and was up 0.1% on Wednesday, although Qatar’s international bonds were little changed by news of the deal, while credit default swaps, used to bet against the risk of a default, were unmoved, IHS Markit data showed.

“Qatar Airways and consequently Qatar Fuel could benefit from increased air traffic between KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Qatar,” QNB said in the research note, adding that real estate firms will also benefit from demand longer term.

Qatari banks have significant stakes in banks in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, while Qatar National Bank was seeking to expand its business in Saudi Arabia, where it opened a branch just before the embargo.

Qatari banks also had a total of 6% exposure to regional lenders, which fell to 3% after the embargo, the note said, adding that Qatari companies have largely eliminated its impact by diversifying supply channels, as well as their customers.

source: reuters

 Qatari companies including banks are forecast to get a boost from a deal to end a more than three-year row between Doha and some Gulf states, which was announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.

QNB Financial Services Research, part of Qatar’s biggest bank, said in a note that Qatari banks are set to benefit from the GCC resolution agreed at a Gulf summit on Tuesday “based on general investor optimism as domestic banks had immaterial exposure to the blockading countries”.

The Qatari stock index closed 1.4% higher on Tuesday, leading other Gulf markets and was up 0.1% on Wednesday, although Qatar’s international bonds were little changed by news of the deal, while credit default swaps, used to bet against the risk of a default, were unmoved, IHS Markit data showed.

“Qatar Airways and consequently Qatar Fuel could benefit from increased air traffic between KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Qatar,” QNB said in the research note, adding that real estate firms will also benefit from demand longer term.

Qatari banks have significant stakes in banks in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, while Qatar National Bank was seeking to expand its business in Saudi Arabia, where it opened a branch just before the embargo.

Qatari banks also had a total of 6% exposure to regional lenders, which fell to 3% after the embargo, the note said, adding that Qatari companies have largely eliminated its impact by diversifying supply channels, as well as their customers.

The year 2020 has seen profound and far-reaching change throughout society and the global economy. It seems that every industry and sector has been upended in some way, creating a shift that has changed the trajectory of large, small and emerging businesses.

The pace and extent of digital transformation in 2020 has experienced some of the most furvert change as compared to any other year.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen technological transition occur at a breakneck pace, whether that is pushing forward digital transformation for businesses, connectivity in the shape of 5G, advances in artificial intelligence and augmented reality, and greater use of digital automation to help enable business to run smoothly in times of crisis.

However, there is often a tendency to focus on broad or advanced digital change risks, while overlooking the emotional component of the global pandemic-enforced transformation.

For me, the real story is that of the smaller businesses and entrepreneurs in the region and the need to help them empower themselves.

Earlier this year, in a matter of a few weeks, entrepreneurs and micro-businesses were forced to pivot their traditional business approach to factor in the online world. Breaking the traditional face to face, physical communications and in-person sales model, to quickly understand how to connect and engage online – not as a consumer, but as a business.

There is no doubt that a lot of people knew the value of digital and were planning to make the plunge one day soon, but it became a necessity almost overnight - and that was the real challenge.

More consumers in the region have begun shopping online and in greater frequency. According to studies in the US, the global pandemic has accelerated the shift from physical stores to digital shopping by about five years.

This seismic shift has forced businesses to rapidly pivot to digital channels such as e-commerce to drive traffic, sell online and remain competitive.

Deciding on the right products to invest in to help ensure businesses meet current market demand and more importantly, keep pace with the evolution of e-commerce technology and new ways of doing business, can often slow down the process of digital transformation. Yet it need not do so.  A variety of online tools available today are designed to help set an online store, easily and more affordable.

The success stories of our customers during these unprecedented times are inspirational to others looking to start their own small business. Many startups that have transitioned to adding e-commerce online transactions, home delivery, and expanded digital marketing during this pandemic can help others with their own stories.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year and beyond, we think it’s vital that businesses reinforce their online brand identity and presence. In practical terms, this means honing your website, social channels, and other online properties.

These elements are your virtual shopfront and it is essential to continually keep them updated and interesting to help your business grow. They need to be integrated, not just from a traffic flow point of view, but also in terms of their look and feel.Here are a few tips to consider:

• Online visibility is crucial as it can help the brand build a connection and trust with its customers. Differentiate yourself from the competition and convey a professional look and feel that will attract customers and help grow the business.
• In terms of communication, maintain good online engagement to help ensure website visitors are aware of the quality of your products and services, by connecting with them on a regular basis.
• Ultimately, you want to create a seamless and enjoyable customer experience online. In practical terms, this means ease of discovery, intuitive navigation for your website, simple online shopping (especially payment options and application of offers) and comprehensive post-purchase communication for those making online orders.

This year has shown us that a functional and integrated digital platform has become even more essential.

source: wamda

رامي عيسى رائد اعمال سوري من مواليد مدينة اللاذقية عام 1982 حاصل على بكالوريوس إدارة أعمال اختصاص تسويق جامعة تشرين عام 2007.

بدأ ممارسة رياضة كرة السلة عام 1994 في نادي حطين وتدرج بكل فئاته العمرية حتى عام 2004 احترف بعدها في صفوف نادي الاتحاد بين عامي 2005-2007 حصل معه على بطولة الدوري السوري لكرة السلة ثم انتقل عام 2008 إلى نادي الكرامة بثاني أعلى صفقة في ذلك العام واستمر معه حتى اعتزاله لعب الفرق عام 2012. خلال فترة احترافه كرة السلة لعب رامي عيسى أيضاً للمنتخب السوري الأول لكرة السلة.

إلى جانب استمراره في احتراف كرة السلة، أسس رامي في مدينة اللاذقية أكبر مدرسة خاصة لتعليم كرة السلة في سورية والتي استطاع من خلالها جذب عقود رعاية فاق حجم بعضها عقود الرعاية لأندية كبيرة في سورية.

في عام 2012 انتقل رامي إلى دولة قطر واستمر تألقه كنجم رياضي في كرة السلة حيث لعب لصالح نادي العربي القطري بلعبة كرة السلة 3×3 وحصل مع فريق العربي على المرتبة الثالثة في دوري كرة السلة 3×3، في قطر، لسنتين 2019 و2020. كما يحتل رامي عيسى المرتبة الأولى كأفضل لاعب سوري الجنسية لكرة السلة في لعبة 3×3 في عام 2020 بحسب تصنيف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة السلة (FIBA).

وخلال تواجده في قطر انتقل رامي للعمل في مجال الموارد البشرية وتنقل من موظف في القسم إلى نائب مدير إلى مدير الموارد البشرية في مجموعة شركات الصفوة.

لكن مجال الموارد البشرية لم يكن يستهوي رامي، فهو يعرف عن نفسه كمدمن تسويق! فكان يخصص أوقات فراغه للعمل في مجال التسويق حتى تفرغ بشكل كامل له، فعمل مديراً للتسويق للعديد من الشركات المحلية في دولة قطر.

إلى جانب ذلك أسس رامي عدداً من المشاريع الريادية منها مشروع شبكة "أنطلق" المختصة بالتوظيف. بالإضافة إلى تقديم دورات تدريبية في التسويق، كما يعمل في تقديم الاستشارات التسويقية لعدد من الشركات الناشئة في كل من سوريا وتركيا وقطر، منها مؤسسة "هارفرد قطر" التي يشغل فيها منصب رئيس قسم الاستشارات التسويقية.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: بالرغم من خلفيتك الأكاديمية، إلا أن رامي عيسى كان لسنوات نجماً لكرة السلة، وكما تعلم فإن معظم نجوم الرياضة يتحولون إلى مدربي أندية وفرق، أي يبقون في فلك عالم الرياضة، لكنك اخترت اتجاها مختلفاً كلياً. كيف تصف تجربتك بالانتقال من الميدان الرياضي إلى عالم ريادة الأعمال؟ 

رامي عيسى: بالفعل كان كل اهتمامي منصباً في مجال كرة السلة، فقد كان لدى مدرسة خاصة بتعليم كرة السلة في سورية كما كنت اخطط لإطلاق مجلة "تكتيك" المتخصصة بتدريب كرة السلة إلا أن ظروف عام 2011 اجبرتني على التخلي عن مخططاتي والسفر إلى دولة قطر عام 2012 حيث بدأت العمل كموظف موارد بشرية وسرعان ما انتقلت إلى مساعد مدير الموارد البشرية ومن ثم إلى مدير للموارد البشرية لكن في الحقيقة هذا المجال لم يكن يستهويني كثيراً، فكنت أعمل في أوقات فراغي بمجال التسويق ومع مرور الوقت بت أزيد هذا الوقت حتى وصلت إلى التفرغ الكامل للعمل في التسويق منذ حوالي 4 سنوات. 

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: من هم المستفيدون من خدماتك؟ التوزيع القطاعي والجغرافي؟
رامي عيسى: معظم عملائي هم من داخل دولة قطر، فبحكم وجودي في قطر من صعب لمن هم خارجها  دفع أجور مساوية للأجور المتعارف عليها داخل دولة قطر، لذلك نادراً ما تعاقدت مع أشخاص أو شركات خارج قطر، لذا معظم خدماتي التي اقدمها لمن هم في خارج قطر مقتصرة  على استشارات ودورات تدريبية (عن بعد).  

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: ما هو النموذج الاقتصادي الذي تنتهجه، كيف تجني الأرباح؟
رامي عيسى: يختلف النموذج الاقتصادي الذي اعمل به باختلاف الخدمة التي اقدمها، بالنسبة للدورات التدريبية فإني أفضل العمل وفق نموذج " Freemium" أي أن تكون النسخة الأساسية مجانية والنسخة المطورة مدفوعة. أما بالنسبة للخدمات التسويقية فأتقاضى تكاليف الخدمات التي اقدمها مباشرة وفقاً للعقد المبرم مسبقاً.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: يغيب عن الكثير من الشباب المقبل على ريادة الأعمال حقيقة أن حوالي 90% من المشاريع الناشئة تفشل، كما أن معظم رواد الأعمال يخفون تجاربهم الفاشلة، وكأنها وصمة عار. بوصف تلك التجارب غير مكتملة أو التي حققت نجاحاً منخفضاً، فأنت تدرك أن احتمال الفشل قائم كما تعترف صراحة بأن عدد من المشاريع التي كنت قد بدأت بها قد فشلت فعلاً. وهنا يكمن سؤالنا، ما رأيك بثقافة العار من الفشل، وكيف تصف تجربة فشل مشروعك؟     وماهي أبرز الدروس التي تعلمتها من ذلك؟      

رامي عيسى: سؤال هام، بالفعل تفشل 90% من المشاريع لأسباب متعددة، وأعتقد أن أهم أسباب فشل المشاريع هو الجهل في السوق التي ينشط بها المشروع، أو أن المشروع نفسه مجرد محاولة لتقليد مشروع آخر لاقى نجاحاً أو بسبب عدم توفر ميزانية كافية لتسويق فكرة المشروع. 

وبالعودة إلى سؤالك حول غياب ثقافة الاعتراف بالفشل، في اعتقادي أن الأمر يعود إلى ثقافة كل بلد، فنحن، واقصد هنا المنطقة العربية، نربط سبب الفشل بالشخص نفسه، وهذا غير صحيح، فأحياناً يكون سبب الفشل نتيجة لظروف خارجية لا علاقة لرائد الأعمال بها، بالمقابل نجد الاعتراف بالفشل في ثقافة الأعمال في الولايات المتحدة أمراً مقبولاً ويتم الثناء عليه.
بالنسبة لي ليس لدي مشكلة في الاعتراف بالفشل، ومؤخرا قمت بمشاركة أبرز سبعة مشاريع فشلت بها، على حسابي في منصة انستغرام   @ramiissa.marketing بالنسبة لي الأمر ليس عاراً بل هي دروس للاستفادة منها، فبالنهاية النجاح يتأتى من التجارب الفاشلة.
ومن الدروس التي استفدت منها من تجاربي الفاشلة هي أن لا أعيش في الأحلام بل أن أكون واقعيا، وان ادرس السوق الذي أرغب دخوله وافهم متطلباته.  أما أهم درس تعلمته فهو تخصيص ميزانية التسويق قبل ميزانية المشروع دائماً للأسف يحدث كثيراً أن يقوم أحدهم بإطلاق تطبيق ما على الهواتف الذكية ليقف بعد ذلك عاجزاً عن التسويق له بسبب إغفال تخصيص المبالغ الكافية لتسويقه ،على سبيل المثال شركة جوجل لا تقوم بتنفيذ أي مشروع إذا لم تجد لديها إمكانية لتسويقه ، أي أن التفكير في التسويق للمنتج يسبق إنتاجه وليس العكس.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: يرجع الكثير من رواد الأعمال فشل مشاريعهم أو حتى عدم رؤيتها النور إلى عدم القدرة على الحصول على التمويل الكافي للانطلاق بها. كرائد أعمال يعتمد على التمويل الذاتي في مشاريعه، ما رأيك بهذا؟ وما هي النصيحة التي يمكن أن تقدمها لرواد الأعمال الذين يعانون من نقص التمويل؟

رامي عيسى: أنا من أنصار أن فكرة تمويل المشروع الناشئ في بدايته من قبل الممولين في المنطقة العربية كذبة! هذا النوع من التمويل لا يوجد سوى في الولايات المتحدة وبدرجة أقل في أوروبا، أما في المنطقة العربية فلا يتم تمويل مشروع إلا إذا كان في الأساس مشروعاً ناجحاً أو اكتسب قاعدة جماهيرية واسعة وهذا أمر نادر. لذلك أنصح رواد الأعمال في المنطقة العربية بعدم الانجرار خلف نموذج الأعمال الأمريكي والتفكير بكيفية البدء كمشروع صغير يحقق إيرادات مباشرةً.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: ما هي أبرز الصعوبات التي واجهتك في بداية عملك في مجال التسويق؟

رامي عيسى: قد تكون عقلية بعض مدراء المشاريع حيال التسويق من أبرز المشكلات التي واجهتني، فمن جهة أقابل أصحاب شركات يتحدثون عن أهمية التسويق في نجاح المنتج، لكن الحقيقة تتضح عند التطبيق الفعلي حينما لا يعطى للتسويق قدراً ملائماً من الاهتمام في ميزانية المشروع، فنرى أن أول ما يلغى أو يخفض من ميزانية الشركة عندما تمر بضائقة مالية هي تكاليف التسويق. وهو أمر مزعج ومربك في آن، فالخطة التسويقية تكون قد وضعت مسبقاً.

ومن جهة ثانية نجد أصحاب الشركات ممن تتملكهم مقولة "المنتج الجيد يسوق نفسه بنفسه" لذلك هم لا يؤمنون بأهمية التسويق في الأساس. ومع اعتقادي بصحة هذه المقولة لكنها لا تعكس الصورة الكاملة، فقد يكون هنالك 10 منتجات جيدة ورائعة وبالتالي لا بد من التسويق بالنهاية. وأخيراً أعتقد ان المتطفلين على مهنة التسويق هم أحد مشاكلها أيضاً، فللأسف يستنزفون ميزانية الشركات ولا يعودون عليها بأية نتائج فعالة، فيفقد أصحاب الشركات ثقتهم بالتسويق ويجعلون مهمتنا أصعب في إقناعهم لاحقاً.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: حدثنا عن أهم مشكلة واجهتك وكيف تعاملت معها؟

رامي عيسى: أهم مشكلة واجهتها كانت في عملية التوظيف. للأسف الكثير من الأشخاص يدعون امتلاكهم المهارات التي تؤهلهم للمهام التي تطلبها كالبرمجة أو التصميم وحينما يأتي الدور على التطبيق تكتشف بأن ليس لديهم الخبرات والمهارات المطلوبة للعمل فيضيع بذلك المال والوقت.

إلى جانب ذلك تبرز مشكلة ممثلة بالعراقيل البيروقراطية عند تأسيس الشركات في المنطقة العربية، وهذا النوع من الصعوبات لا نجده في الغرب، ففي بريطانيا مثلا يمكن أن تؤسس شركة عبر الانترنت في خمس دقائق بينما في المنطقة العربية فأنت بحاجة إلى شريك ودفع رسوم وإجراءات أخرى تأخذ الكثير من الوقت والجهد، الأمر الذي يعرقل العديد من المشاريع، بالإضافة إلى ذلك نجد في المنطقة العربية ضعفا في الشركات التي تعمل "من الباطن" مثل شركات خدمة العملاء أو التوصيل فتضطر معظم الشركات لعمل كل شيء بنفسها والبدء من الصفر.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: هل نطاق نشاطك يقتصر على بلد ما / العالم العربي؟

رامي عيسى: غالبية نشاطي في الوقت الحالي يقتصر على المنطقة العربية أو لنقل للناطقين باللغة العربية، ونادراً ما قدمت خدمة إلى شركات أو أشخاص من غير الناطقين بالعربية.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: من خلال متابعتنا لنشاطك نرى بأنك تركز على منصتي انستغرام وفيسبوك، لماذا اخترت هاتين المنصتين بالذات؟ وما هي المحددات التي يجب أخذها بعين الاعتبار عند اختيار المنصة أو المنصات التي سوف يتم التسويق عبرها؟

رامي عيسى: بالنسبة لكثافة نشاطي على منصة فيس بوك فهو أمر طبيعي فكما نعلم بأن غالبية الأشخاص المتواجدين على الانترنت حول العالم لديهم حساب على الفيسبوك ومنهم أصدقائي ومعارفي في المنطقة العربية، كذلك شعبيتي على الفيسبوك جاءت من احترافي كلاعب سابق في نادي الاتحاد السوري ومنتخب سوريا، فقد سبق دخولي مجال ريادة الأعمال، فما قمت به هو أنى استثمرت ذلك.

أما بالنسبة لمنصة انستغرام فبصراحة لم أكن أوليها اهتماماً لكن مع انتشار منصة انستغرام في الخليج العربي بشكل كبير في السنوات القليلة الماضية والطلب المتزايد من الزبائن للتسويق على هذه المنصة دفعني للتواجد والعمل عليها، ولقد نالت اعجابي لاحقاً. هذا بالإضافة إلى تواجدي على منصة يوتيوب لكن بدرجة أقل من منصتي فيس بوك وانستغرام.

نظرياً يفضل التواجد على جميع المنصات كمنصة تيك توك وسناب شات لكن ضيق الوقت والارتباط بأعمال كثيرة يمنعني عن ذلك. لذا أرى من الأفضل عدم تشتيت جهودي في منصات كثيرة.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: لديك أسلوب مميز في شرح المفاهيم والأساليب التسويقية، يتسم بالبساطة والحس الفكاهي، ويلاحظ تفاعل الجمهور معك واعجابهم بأسلوبك المميز. ما هي المعايير التي تضعها في الموازنة ما بين إيصال الفكرة والمضامين الدعائية وبين منح الجمهور المتعة والتسلية؟

رامي عيسى: اسلوبي في التسويق يشبه شخصيتي، فمن يعرفني على المستوى الشخصي، يعلم بأني شخص مرح ومرن، واحب روح الدعابة وتبسيط الأمور، هذه طبيعتي. لهذا السبب احببت ان انقل هذا الأسلوب إلى مجال عملي في التسويق تماما كما لو اني اخاطب الناس في الحياة الواقعية، كما أن اتباع هذا الأسلوب نابع عن قناعتي الشخصية، فأنا اعتبر بأن التعقيد هو عدوا الفهم، فكلما كان الموضوع معقدا قل فهم المتلقي له، ولأينشتاين مقولة رائعة في هذا الشأن "إن لم تستطع شرح فكرتك لطفل عمره 6 سنوات فأنت نفسك لم تفهمها بعد!".

إلى جانب ذلك علينا ان لا ننسى بان تسويق على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي له خصوصية. فهو أشبه بمخاطبة الناس في مقهى وليس في مدرج جامعي، بعبارة أخرى يجب أن لا يتسم الطرح بالجدية الزائدة، بل يجب أن يكون الأمر بسيطاً ليسهل فهمه ومرحاً ليستمتع به المتلقي.

بنفس الوقت أحرص على الموازنة بين تقديم المعلومة وتبسيطها وطرحها بأسلوب فكاهي، واحاول قصارى جهدي أن لا يصل الأمر إلى درجة يصبح فيها ثقيل الظل على المتلقي.

وبالمناسبة، قد يعتقد البعض بأن هذا الأسلوب سهل، على العكس تبسيط وايصال فكرة، قد تكون كتبت في بحث أو في فصل من كتاب يصل عدد صفحاته لأكثر من 50 صفحة، في عبارات قليلة، هو أمر صعب ويحتاج إلى جهد مضاعف وفهم كامل لمضمون الفكرة.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: باعتبارك تعمل في التسويق الالكتروني، في أي مرحلة من المشروع يتوجب على رائد الأعمال اللجوء لهذه الوسيلة؟ وكم تقدر الميزانية المطلوبة بالمعدل للوصول لنتائج مرضية؟

رامي عيسى: يجب أن تبدأ بالتسويق قبل البدء بالمشروع، أي في مرحلة الفكرة، وأن يبدأ التسويق بسؤال من حولك حول فكرة المشروع، ربما ستفاجئ بكمية المعلومات والنصائح التي ستحصل عليها والتي يمكن أن تجنبك التورط في تقديم منتج معين..استشر الناس منذ البدء وفي كل مرحلة تسبق إطلاق المنتج..اسألهم عن رأيهم بشكل المنتج وخصائصه ومميزاته وكل شيء من شأنه أن يؤثر في نجاح مشروعك. الأفكار متوفرة مجانا على الانترنت ويمكنك اختبار مدى ملائمتها لمنتجك عبر سؤال من حولك، لطالما استشرت الناس على منصات التواصل الاجتماعي واستفدت من ذلك كثيراً. وعندما تطلق منتجك او خدمتك، عندها سيكون الوقت مناسباً للبدء بحملات إعلانية مدفوعة.

إذن التسويق الإلكتروني يبدأ فعلياً من إنتاج المنتج ويستمر باستمرار المشروع. بالنسبة للميزانية التي يجب رصدها للتسويق للمنتج أو الخدمة فهي تختلف من بلد لآخر، فعلى سبيل المثال في دولة قطر أنصح الانطلاقة من مبلغ بين 1500$-2000$ بالحد الأدنى لقاء الإعلانات على منصة واحدة فقط كمنصة انستغرام.

أشبه موضوع الحد الأدنى من التكاليف الواجب تخصيصها للتسويق بجرعة الدواء..فإذا نصحك الطبيب بأخذ جرعة مضاد حيوي من عيار 1000 فيجب أن لا تتفاجئ بأنك لم تحصل على نتيجة فعالة إذا أخذت جرعة من عيار 500. كما قلت في قطر الحد الأدنى هو 1500$ لربما في السعودية يكون الحد الأدنى هو 2000$. المهم هو الالتزام بما طلبه منك اخصائي التسويق.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: ما هي خططك المستقبلية، علمنا منك بأنك مقبل على افتتاح اكاديمية للتدريب على التسويق..هل لك أن تخبرنا المزيد حول هذا المشروع؟ وهل تفكر في الانطلاق للعالمية / التواصل مع شركاء، رواد أعمال، مستثمرين؟ وماذا يلزم لتطوير نفسك؟

رامي عيسى: في الحقيقة فكرة إنشاء أكاديمية متخصصة في التسويق هي فكرة تراودني منذ وقت طويل، لكن التزامي بعقود العمل يشغلني عن تنفيذ هذا المشروع، لكن فكرة المشروع مازالت قائمة.

أما بالنسبة لوجود شركاء فبالطبع اسعى لذلك لكن الحديث في طبيعة الشراكة التي ارغب بها مازال مبكراً وعن النطاق الجغرافي الذي تستهدفه الاكاديمية فسيكون محصوراً في المنطقة العربية التي تعاني نقصا في هذا النوع من التعليم، أما عالمياً فيوجد الكثير من الاكاديميات الناطقة باللغة الإنكليزية، لذلك الهدف هو المنطقة العربية وساتبع نموذج " freemium".

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: ما هي أهم النصائح التي توجهها لرواد الأعمال؟

رامي عيسى: كما اشرت من قبل أهم نصيحة أوجهها لرواد الأعمال هي أن يكون واقعياً وأن يخصص ميزانية كبيرة للتسويق، والبدء بالحد الأدنى من خصائص المنتج (M.V.P). كما أنصح باستشارة الناس بشكل دائم، وأخذ الخسارة والفشل بروح رياضة، فلا أحد يتعلم إلا من أخطائه.

منصة رواد الأعمال العرب- السويسريين: ألا تعتقد بأن رائد الأعمال بحاجة للانتماء الى مجتمع رواد الأعمال والتواصل مع شركاء محليين ودوليين كي يحظى بشبكة علاقات تتيح له تبادل الخبرات والعثور على شركاء أو الحصول على تمويل مما يزيد من فرص نجاحه؟

رامي عيسى: أي منصة واي مجموعة واي صفحة يجب على رائد الأعمال أن يكون فيه، نعم يجب أن يكون هنالك منصة (مجتمع) لرواد الأعمال. لكن المشكلة أن (الأنا العليا) لدى بعض رواد الأعمال تكون متضخمة، ولا يشاركون في هذا النوع من المجتمعات، ويوجد، للأسف، بعض رواد الأعمال ممن يعيشون في الوهم، فيحاولون استنساخ نموذج ريادة الأعمال الأمريكي ويطبقونه في المنطقة العربية وهذا الأمر من المستحيل أن ينجح.
لذلك أشدد على أن يكون رائد الأعمال واقعياً وان يستمع لأشخاص حقيقيين ممن لديهم التجربة والخبرة في عالم ريادة الأعمال ويحبون مشاركة ما تعلموه مع الآخرين. أما أولئك الذين ينَّظرون من كتب رواد الاعمال الأمريكيين ومدوناتهم فبعتقادي هم مخطئون ، المهم أن تقدم معلومات وأفكار يمكن تطبيقها في المنطقة العربية وليس في بيئة أعمال بعيدة عنها.

The utilization of social media as a marketing tool has become an inescapable need for any organization looking for progress and development in its business. The total number of social media users was estimated at 3.8 billion users over a total number of a global population of about 7.75 billion in 2020 (i.e. 49%), with an annual growth rate of 9.2% compared to 2019. On the other hand, mobile users were estimated at about 5.2 billion (about 67% of the total population). The evolution of the global mobile data consumption is increasing exponentially. (Hootsuite, Digital 2020, Global Digital Overview).

Social media delivers a new way to businesses that are interactive with the customers; it will completely convert the way of business.

In the meantime, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the users’ behaviors shifted, sometimes starkly, toward more use of devices for work, play and connecting. With the rise of social distancing, people are seeking out new ways to connect, mostly through video chat. If at all the year 2020 offered something good to someone, it is certainly to the social media industry. For example, Facebook alone has attracted 100 million new users in 2020.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

The value of the total digital advertising market reached $334 billion, of which $89.9 billion spent on social media compared to $127.9 billion spent on digital search ads in 2019. According to the data about advert expenditure, Google is the most popular advertising tool, the total expenditure reached about $103.7 billion in 2019 followed by Facebook ($67.4 billion), Alibaba ($29.2 billion) and Amazon ($14.0 billion).

Nevertheless, entrepreneurs and companies, including enormous and well established companies, face difficulties and real challenges in the web-based social media advertising tools, and at the forefront of these challenges is picking a social media platform or platforms that accomplish the marketing targets most productively. (Hootsuite, Digital 2020, Global Digital Overview).

Source : https://datareportal.com/

The Middle East is not an exception of this digital trend, where the total number of social media users was estimated at 125.4 million users over a total number of a total population of about 258.8 million in 2020 (i.e. 48%) (Hootsuite, Digital 2020, Global Digital Overview).

Source : https://datareportal.com/

Two difficulties arise here, the first concerns identifying the media platforms that are generally favored by the company's audience, in addition to its current and expected customers. The second relating to investigating the tendencies and interests of the target audiences within each social media platform.

In this article, we present to our readers the most recent insights related to the use of social media in the Arab countries of the Gulf region. We will present more specifically the tendencies and interests of the users from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the State of Kuwait. Moreover, the readers will find the mains statistics about internet and Facebook users in the Arab world as a whole for 2020.

Two difficulties arise here, the first concerns identifying the media platforms that are generally favored by the company's audience, in addition to its current and expected customers. The second relating to investigating the tendencies and interests of the target audiences within each social media platform.

In this article, we present to our readers the most recent insights related to the use of social media in the Arab countries of the Gulf region. We will present more specifically the tendencies and interests of the users from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the State of Kuwait. Moreover, the readers will find the mains statistics about internet and Facebook users in the Arab world as a whole for 2020.

* For the population it is the Urbanisation rate, for mobile connections: rate vs. population, the other numbers are the penetration rates.

Youtube, Facebook and Instagram has relatively high shares of population that marketers can reach with adverts (population aged 13+); with a percentage of reach of 33%, 32% and 15% respectively. LinkedIn, Snapchat and Twitter have relatively lower rates: with a percentage of reach of 12%, 6.3% and 5.6% respectively. With about 2.8% of share of population that marketers can reach, Pintrest has a relatively very low share (Hootsuite, Digital 2020, Global Digital Overview).

On the other hand other, there exists less popular social media platforms, but have relatively high shares of population that marketers can reach with adverts such as Wechat, QQ and QZone with a percentage of reach of 19%, 12% and 8.6% respectively. (Hootsuite, Digital 2020, Global Digital Overview).

For entrepreneurs and startups, these social media platforms are indispensible sources to create awareness about their brands within their target customers.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

Hereafter we will explore the use of social media in the Arab countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

First: Kingdom Saudi Arabia

The total number of internet users in Saudi Arabia is about 32 million users, or 93% of the total population. Saudi Arabia ranks 5^th within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates).

Source : https://datareportal.com/

According to communications and information technology commission (CITC) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom is the region’s largest ICT market and ranks 13^th globally, with a value of $28.7 billion in 2019 and strong growth in both the consumer and enterprise segments. Saudi Arabia is a market of early technology adopters, with one of the highest social media penetrations in the world. Mobile subscribers stood at 43.8 million in 2019, representing a 129% penetration of the total population, Facebook being the most used social media followed by Instagram and Snapchat.

The below figure present the percentage of internet users aged 16 to 64 years old who report using each platform in the past month.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

Social media platforms in Saudi Arabia

1. Facebook

With 13 million users, Facebook ranked third in terms of the number of users in Saudi Arabia, most of them are males, or about 78% of the total users.

As for the age group, the statistics indicate that more than half of the users were aged between 26 and 40 years.

The top reasons for using Facebook in the Kingdom are for marketing, fashion, movies, travel purposes, sports, music and games. The total number of users per category ranges from 8 to 10 million, whereas watching television comes at the end with 6.5 million users. More than one tenth of the users are using the platform specifically to shop or find new products.     

2. Instagram

Instagram is behind Facebook as the fourth most used social media platform in Saudi Arabia, with 12 million users, a third of whom are male. As for their interests, they appear similar to those of Facebook users. According to Hootsuite report, Saudi Arabia ranked 17 internationally in terms of Instagram reach.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

3. Twitter

Twitter is ranked second in the ranking of the most used social media in the Kingdom, as the number of its users exceeds 14 million users, and contrary to the gender distribution of the Facebook and Instagram platforms, the distribution by gender in Twitter is very close, females being about 48% of the total Twitter users. According to Hootsuite report Saudi Arabia ranked first in terms of eligible audience reach rate on twitter with a total potential twitter advertising reach of 53% compared to population aged 13+.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

As for the main reasons for using Twitter, there is a big difference compared to Instagram and Facebook, data show a great interest for games, this is clear from the big number of users as it reaches more than 10 million. On the other hand, with the exception of high interest for the television and music, with about 7.6 million and 2 million users for each, the other topics, such as travel and shopping, do not receive great attention from the users.

4. Snapchat

This platform is ranked first in Saudi Arabia in terms of the number of users ranging from 15.5 to 16.1 million users. While the percentage of female users is equal to that of male, this platform is the most used social media by females.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

Source : https://datareportal.com/

As for the main reasons for using Snapchat in Saudi Arabia, data show several fields of interests from travel, with total users ranging from 7.6 to 7.94 million, to sport with total number of fans ranging from 7.4 to 7.7 million, to music, games, and food. Surprisingly important number of users shows interest in investment and entrepreneurship, ranging from 3.6 to 3.76 million users.

5. LinkedIn

The LinkedIn platform has 2.4 million users from the kingdom, males being the first using this platform, with 81% of the total number of users compared to only 19% for females.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

Second: United Arab Emirates

According to the latest statistics, a whopping 99% of the UAE population remains active on internet. In 2020, an eyeball popping 9.73 million people come online on social media almost every day, this represents 99% of the population of 9.83 million people.

Youtube is the most popular social media platform in 2020 with 8.65 million users. Facebook has found favor among the commercial entities, the political class as well as the masses of the country. The latest data for 2020 show that, with 7.77 million users, Facebook is expected to remain a main social media force for many years to come. Several popular brands use Facebook to reach out to fans, though providing them unique offers.

With 3.8 million users most are young people, especially teenagers, Instagram emerged as a substantial competitor to Facebook. Other few social media platforms that are popular in the UAE are Twitter (53% penetration), LinkedIn (45% penetration), Pinterest (25% penetration) and Tumblr (20% penetration).

Source : https://datareportal.com/

1. Facebook

The number of Facebook users in the United Arab Emirates stands at about 9 million, meaning 92% of the current UAE population consumes Facebook content, and thus it is the largest social media in the UAE. Although Facebook is the most popular social media among females in the UAE, the gender gap is apparent with men thrice as much as women. The current male and female Facebook users are pegged at 74% and 26% respectively.

The main motivations for using Facebook are shopping, fashion, travel, sports, food and drink, movies and music. The estimated numbers of users ranging per category range from 6 million to 7 million, and at the top of these reasons are shopping and fashion. In addition to the previous topics, Facebook users in the UAE are interested in television and games, with an estimated numbers between 4.7 million and 5.3 million, respectively.

2. Instagram

With about 3.8 million users, Instagram platform ranks second after Facebook in terms of number of users, most of them are males, or 63% of the total users compared to 36% for females. The main motivations for using Instagram appear very close to that of Facebook. Shopping, fashion, travel, sports, food, and drink, as well as movies, are at the forefront of the interests of Instagram users, followed by games and TV respectively.

3. Twitter

The total number of users on Twitter is 3 million, this put Twitter in the fourth rank behind Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. In contrast to Instagram and Facebook, the Twitter users are more gender-equal distribution, with about 42% of female using this platform.

Like all other social media in the UAE, the number of users in English exceeds those in Arabic.

It is noticeable that Twitter users in the UAE are more interested in news channels, as Sky News Arabia, Al Arabiya, and Al Hadath, as they are the largest number of followers, this seams coherent with when we know that the number users interested with television is 2 million, which is equivalent to two-thirds of the users in Twitter. Films come in the top of the list with 3 million users. In other words, all Twitter users in the UAE show some degree of interest in movies.

4. Snapchat

The number of Snapchat users in the UAE ranges between 2.1-2.3 million, and it is the least used social media in the UAE.

In contrast to the rest of social media, in Snapchat the number of female users exceeds that of males. The number of female Snapchat users is more than 1.1 million.

The Snapchat is distinguished from other platforms in the United Arab Emirates, by the diversity of interests of its users between fashion, shopping, games, music, entrepreneurship, investment, health, and lifestyle. The number of those interested in these topics ranges from 500 thousand to one million users.

5. LinkedIn

The number of LinkedIn users in the United Arab Emirates is about 3.4 million, and thus it is ranked third among the most used social media in the UAE after Facebook and Instagram, with a difference of 400,000 users with the latter.

Statistics also indicate that most users of LinkedIn in the Arab Gulf states are from the UAE. As per gender distribution, the majority of users are male, where their percentage is 70%.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

Third: State of Kuwait

The State of Kuwait ranks second in terms of the percentage of users connected to the Internet in the Arab Gulf states, as the percentage of those connected to Internet out of the total population is about 99.1%. Facebook is ranked as the most used social media platform in Kuwait with a total of about 3.00 million active users. Instagram is ranked as the second most used with about 2 million monthly active users. Twitter comes next with about 1.7 million monthly active user. Snapchat also is one of popular social media platforms in Kuwait with total users of about 1.7 million monthly active users.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

 Social Media Penetration Rankings by country, January 2020

Source : https://datareportal.com/

Social media platforms in Kuwait

1. Facebook

With a total number of users of more than two million and 700 thousand users Facebook ranks first among social media in the State of Kuwait, which is equivalent to half the population of Kuwait, of whom 1.9 million are female users, which is the largest percentage of females participation on social media in the Arab Gulf region.

The main motivations for using Facebook in Kuwait are shopping and fashion in addition to music. The number of users interested in these two topics is more than two million users each, followed movies, food, drink, sports, travel, and games with about 2 million users for each. Finally comes the interest for the television with a difference of 500 thousand users with the previous topics.

It is also noted that the number of Facebook users in English is twice the number of users in Arabic.

2. Instagram

Instagram ranks second, along with Twitter, as the most used social media in Kuwait, with about two million users, most of them are males, i.e. about 1.3 million users compared, to 300 thousand users for females (64% and 36% respectively). As per the main motivations for using Instagram in Kuwait, data show a very close trend as for Facebook.

3. Twitter

As mentioned above, Twitter along with Instagram ranks second, as the most used social media in Kuwait, with about two million users, most of them are males (65%) compared to only 35% for females.

As per the main motivations for using Twitter in Kuwait, they are not much difference from the users of Facebook and Instagram.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

4. Snapchat

With a number of users which ranges between 1.6 and 1.7 million, Snapchat ranks before the last in terms of the number of users in Kuwait. As can be seen, the number of users is slightly lower than the users of Twitter and Instagram, not more than 300,000 users. It is the second most used social media by females after Facebook in Kuwait. The number of females using Snapchat has been estimated at about 780,000, i.e. 46% of the total users.

As per the main motivations for using Snapchat in Kuwait, they are more diverse than the other social media platforms, where the users of this platform show an interest in entrepreneurship, investment, cars, TV news, and lifestyle whether men or women. Snapchat users also show an interest in health topics. The estimated number of interested users ranges between 350 thousand and 900 thousand. Finally fitness is another topic of interest, with an estimated number of users of between 195 thousand and 203 thousand.

5. LinkedIn

The total number of LinkedIn users in Kuwait is about 530,000, most of them are males, or about 75% of the total users.

Fourth: Sultanate of Oman

Oman ranked last in the Arab Gulf states in terms of the percentage of users connected to the Internet out of the total population, which were estimated at Oman has 3.9 million internet users, about 78.5% of the total population.

According to a report of the National Centre of Statistics and Information (NCSI), based on a survey on social media behaviour an applications use, conducted in March 2019, most of Omanis, or 94%, own or use social media accounts. They spend up to six hours daily on social media. The report showed that 36% cent of Omanis trusts social media as a source of news and information about important events, compared with 35% who do not trust it.

Data of Hootsuite indicate that Facebook is the most common social media app in Oman, with about 1.5 million users, followed by Instagram with 1.4 million and Twitter with about 1.3 million users.

Social media platforms in the Sultanate of Oman

Source : https://datareportal.com/

1. Facebook

Facebook ranks top among all social media networks. The total number of users was estimated at about 1.5 million users, men represent the majority of the facebookers in Oman with about 78.4% compared to 21.6% for females.

2. Instagram

Data shows that Oman had 1.4 million users on Instagram, covering a total of 36% of the Sultanate’s total users of social media networks, of which 67.2% are males and 32.8% are females.

3. Twitter

The Twitter platform comes in third place after Instagram, with a total number of about 1.3 million users, of which about 70.4% are males and 29.6% are females.

4. Snapchat

Snapchat ranks just before the last place, with about 1.2 million users, of which 52.7% are females, and 45.6% males. In contrast to the rest of social media networks, the number of female users in Snapchat exceeds that of males in Oman. That was the case as well in the UAE.

5. LinkedIn

The Sultanate of Oman shows a wide use of the LinkedIn. The total number of LinkedIn users reaches 520,000 users. The distribution of users by gender does not differ much from the rest of the Arab Gulf states. Statistics show that 76.7% of LinkedIn users are males compared to 23.3% for females.

Fifth: State of Qatar

Qatar ranked in the top in terms of the percentage of those connected to Internet out of the total population within the Arab Gulf states. The percentage of those connected to Internet in Qatar reaches 99.6%.

Accoring to a report of focus on Qatar, of the web site Middleeastmedia, the top social networking sites used in Qatar are Facebook, with a total of 2.4 million active users, Twitter ranked second with total number of users of 974,000 users, and Instagram. Instagram is ranked third with total users of users of 960,000 users. LinkedIn is ranked fourth with an estimated total number of users of 840,000.Snapchat.

However, use of these sites differs considerably according to the population subsets. For example usage of Facebook is nearly universal across all expat groups in Qatar. Qataris, however, have not embraced Facebook for social networking to the same degree; only one third of Qatari nationals are on Facebook. In fact, Qataris are more likely to use Instagram (46%), they are using Twitter and Facebook in same way (37% and 36%).

Almost all internet users pass time online for leisure (94%), entertainment (71%). A similarly high level watch online videos (83%).

Source : https://datareportal.com/

Social media platforms in Qatar

1. Facebook

Facebook ranks first in Qatar as the most used social media medium, as the number of users of this platform is about 2.4 million users Facebook, of whom 76.3% are males, and 23.7% are females.

2. Instagram

Instagram ranks third behind Facebook and Twitter with a total number of users of about 960,000 users, of which 64.2% are males compared to 35.8% for female users.

3. Twitter

Twitter is the second most used social media platform after Facebook, with total users of about 974,000, of which 67.4% are males and 32.6% are females.

4. Snapchat

As for Snapchat, it is ranked last among social media platforms, with a number of users not exceeding 585 thousand, but what distinguishes this platform in Qatar is the greater percentage of female users which reaches 52.6% of the total users. This tendency could be seen as well in Oman and UAE.

5. linkedIn

LinkedIn ranks fourth within other social media networks most used in Qatar. The total number of users was estimated at about 840,000 users. This is about 150,000 lower than the other social media network such as Instagram and Twitter. Most of LinkedIn users are men with a total percentage of about 76.6% out of the total users.

Sixth: Kingdom of Bahrain

Bahrain ranks fourth compared to the Arab Gulf states in terms of the share of the population with internet connection, ahead of Saudi Arabia and Oman.

The percentage of users with internet connection in Bahrain to the total population is about 99%.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

Social media platforms in Bahrain

1. Facebook

The social media platforms in the Kingdom of Bahrain are characterized by the absence of significant differences in terms of the total number of users, consequently it is not possible to classify them in terms of the most popular network, except for LinkedIn which is the least popular. The differences in the number of users between each type of network do not exceed tens of thousands. The number of Facebook users in the Kingdom is estimated at about 840,000, of which 73.8% are males, and 26.2% are females.

2. Instagram

The number of Instagram users in Bahrain is about 720,000, of which 62% are males and 38% are females.

3. Snapchat

Snapchat is the most used social media platform in Bahrain by females, as their percentage to the total number of 885,000 users, is about 47.9%.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

4. Twitter

The number of Twitter users in Bahrain is about 818,000, of which 65.1% are males and 34.9% are females.

Source : https://datareportal.com/

5. LinkedIn

LinkedIn platform is ranked last in terms of the social media popularity in Bahrain. The total number of users is estimated at about 340,000 users, of which70.9% are males and 29.1% are females.

Business in the UAE has traditionally been face-to-face, and the same is true with enterprise learning. Many believe that stronger connections are built with in-person learning and that participants are more engaged with course material if they’re in physical sessions. Additionally, training is seen as a perk to recognise the success of hardworking employees.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic wiped the opportunity for face-to-face learning out almost entirely. According to WEF’s Future of Jobs Report, nearly 80 per cent of businesses in the UAE have accelerated their business digitisation because of Covid-19 - and a big part of this has been delivering virtual learning to ensure the skills and accreditations of their employees remain current.

But moving Learning and Development (L&D) online hasn’t been an easy task. Companies have had to find content and technology partners to deliver learning at scale to fit fast-changing business needs. They’ve had to work quickly to ensure that staff can access materials and, crucially, that employees realise that a move online doesn’t mean compromised quality. The good news is that a culture of open-mindedness and a willingness to diversify has always resulted in the UAE being at the forefront of embracing and deploying groundbreaking innovations and best practices. So how are businesses in the UAE transitioning to online learning, and what benefits are there for those who get it right?

Delivering against business objectives

The shift to virtual learning is likely to be a new approach for many businesses and it may take time to identify what works best. Even though speed has been the essence in the past few months, this mustn’t be at the expense of ongoing reflection and measurement. As programmes roll out, it’s important to continue reviewing, refining, and improving them to better understand what success looks like and secure support from learners and stakeholders.

Some companies meet this challenge by complementing ready-made courses from industry and university educators with content created by their own organisation. This is possible using tools Private Authoring tools, which allows businesses to create their own projects, courses, and assessments. Indeed, companies such as Hertz are already using this to develop courses in areas like IT, SaaS management, data visualisation, and software onboarding.

The companies best placed to succeed have a clear view of their learning objectives. These vary - from the need to attract and retain staff, to helping employees re-train and upskill to fit changing business needs. Whatever these needs are, learning strategies are more likely to permeate through an organisation if seen as a strategic business imperative linked to specific business outcomes - not ‘just’ a job for HR departments.

Driving employee uptake to ensure your investment pays off

Savvy companies in the region are not just looking to provide access and availability of learning resources. For them, employee adoption is a critical measure of success. Digital resources of any kind can be effective only if employees embrace them. While the change in organisational practices can be daunting, the benefits far outweigh any apprehensions.

While the C-suite cares about the bottom line, promoting more immediate benefits will resonate more with employees. These might include reduced travelling time, a quicker response rate to training needs and more convenient accessibility for a global audience.

Right now, it may well also mean the ability to better work remotely, fostering virtual collaboration through shared course experiences and interactions. It is also about emotional well-being - research shows that the act of learning helps cope with stress, and online learning can empower employees to continue investing in their futures -  crucial in such an uncertain period. As an example, The Science of Wellbeing course by Yale University has become the most popular course on our platform this year, reaching over 2.5 million enrollments.

Notably, while companies in the region have perhaps previously favoured face-to-face training, staff must now be shown how virtual learning can deliver improved quality - through consistent and measurable learning experiences instead of the more free-flowing in-person classroom environment.

Focusing on the skills needed to meet new business challenges

The pandemic will likely encourage businesses to reassess the skills they need and how they deliver them to their workforce. As the region sets its sights on recovery, a robust and scalable virtual enterprise learning infrastructure is essential to ensuring that organisations can respond with agility. For example, Coursera’s Skills Development Dashboard enables companies to measure how their learning programme is helping employees - ensuring they’re making progress and delivering against objectives.

Rather than encouraging the development of narrow skill sets, many organisations are now looking to promote a resilient mindset. Indeed, McKinsey’s recent report cited ‘adaptability’ as an essential skills for employees in a post-Covid world. By prioritising this mindset, companies can cultivate employees who move from skill to skill with sufficient ease to hold and develop new roles as opportunities come and go.

This is partly why we’ve seen a greater focus on soft skills from companies across the globe. On Coursera, year on year enrollments for personal development courses grew by 500 per cent this year. Some of the most popular include Learning How to Learn by the University of California, How to Understand Arguments by Duke University and Communicating Effectively in Groups by the University of Colorado. As businesses navigate uncharted territory, developing these soft skills will become more critical.

One of the most important business priorities for companies right now is keeping employees engaged and supported. Offering learning opportunities signals continued investment in their professional development, even as companies tackle a challenging economic climate. And, of course, in cases where employees cannot do some or all of their job during the pandemic, learning can help them advance their skills so they come back better prepared when work resumes.

A final word

We know that companies in the UAE are quickly pivoting to online learning, driven by the need to continue adapting amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The most successful ones are aware that delivering against a well-designed enterprise learning strategy is not just a ‘nice to have’ but an absolute necessity that impacts business performance. They see L&D firmly as a boardroom issue, which determines profitability, resilience and their ability to grow.

Increasingly, companies in the region enjoy greater access to a diverse selection of courses, superior learning experience, and the ability to better measure progress. Although a short-term necessity has accelerated the move to online learning, the success companies are seeing means that it’s here to stay - long after the pandemic is over.

source: wamdawamda