Middle East is fast realizing that mobile apps is the new oil. A look at the mobile apps scene in the region.
Middle East is the region centered on Western Asia and Egypt in North Africa. The most popular Middle East cities are — Riyadh, Tehran, Dubai, Jeddah, Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi etc. It is the birth place of several religions including — Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Bahai. Middle East remains popular destination for travelers. It is also an area of great economic importance.
Despite of having young population, Middle East countries are lagging in terms of technological advancements. However, a lot of startups in Middle East are overcoming cultural barrier to tap into technological advancements.
How adoption of technology apps has been fast?
Today, a lot of Middle East users have embraced the growth of technology. Mobile phone usage is increasing in Middle East region, and it is expected to become the second largest country in terms of mobile population in the world. According to recent reports, more than 40% of smartphone users in Middle East use smart features in their devices, connect to the internet, play games and download apps. It is expected that the volume of smartphone users in UAE will double by 2018.
Go-gulf has come up with some fantastic statistics on smartphone usage in Middle East revealing fascinating trends. According to this report, Qatar has highest percent (75%) of smartphone users, while UAE comes close to 73% standing in second position. Majority of mobile app users are based in Gulf countries and the adoption rates are set to skyrocket across Middle East region.
How homegrown apps start coming up
There are 23 Arab states in Middle East region with upcoming tech industry that deserves world’s attention. Some of the brightest minds of Middle East are making use of technology in business models. The app developers are a boon to Middle East economies that suffer from high unemployment and slow growth. Mobile apps are life savers for busy people of the millennium, as they depend on mobile apps for day-to-day activities like –booking cab, tracking location, ordering food, booking tickets etc.
Despite of great increase in mobile app usage among Middle East countries, only 5% of content is Arabic — which is indeed very less. There are a fewer number of apps in Arabic language, which slowed down the home-grown app market initially. However, the trend has changed and many app development companies in Middle East started developing apps in native language — — which eventually increased the app download rate.
The homegrown app companies in Middle East have started listening to the user requirements and implement them in real time. The main evidence of this is the increasing number of multi-lingual apps that are compatible in Arabic and English. The homegrown ecosystem is spreading its wings to cover field such as — travel, hotel management, beauty salon, taxi, flash mob alerts etc. Another factor that is accounting to the growth of homegrown mobile apps is that many users are willing to pay for an app, if the services are good. With further development in technology, the phenomenon will tend to continue.
Some successful home grown apps
According to a recent analysis, mobile apps account for 33% of global app economy in 2018 with developers falling over to meet the demand. Middle East is no exception to the trend with more than 68 million mobile subscriptions across Middle East countries.
1. Careem
The best example for rise of mobile apps in homegrown app market is Careem app. It is a transportation network company in Dubai, with operations in 53 cities in Middle East and South Asia. The main objective of this popular cab booking service in MENA region is to simplify people’s lives through reliable urban transportation. It works pretty much the same way as Uber works.
2. Souq
The recent acquisition of Souq by Amazon is the best feature to its cap in growing market for apps in Middle East for more than $650 million. This figure has proved that Middle East countries can produce app giants. Before acquisition, Souq is called as Amazon of Middle East. From phones to tablets to TVs and other electronic devices, Souq.com allows users to browse and buy from more than 600,000 products through its app and website.
3. Taskspotting
Taskspotting, the best mobile app in Middle East region pays people in exchange for their feedback. The app provides valuable insights from consumers in real-time to businesses. This app has proven to be a great win for businesses and consumers in Middle East region.
4. Anghami
Aghami is the first legal music streaming service in Middle East that let users play Arabic and international hits on their smartphone. This app also allows users to discover new music from their favorite artists and share them in real-time with friends on social networks. It is more than 10 million users and is a treat for people in Middle East who love to take music with them.
Why outsource mobile app development to India
According to the recent statistics, people tend to spend more than 55% of their digital time on mobile apps. It is not shocking why so many businesses are trying to go mobile. There is a great increase in the number of mobile app development companies in Middle East and surrounding countries. With so much competition, it has become difficult for companies to find the best mobile app development company in Middle East for their app project.
Owing to competitive pricing mechanism many small, medium and large companies in Middle East are choosing Indian app development companies to get desired developments. The apps developed by Indian app developers have high innovative factors, making them highly popular on different platforms. It is one of the most favorable industries in India and one can get maximum benefits by outsourcing app development to India. Getting your app developed in India can offer high control over cybercrime and provide unmatched support for e-filling of documents.
Benefits of mobile app outsourcing
Outsourcing mobile app development to India can reduce cost overheads and speeds up the development process. If you are planning to outsource your app development tasks, India is the best country. India is turning out to be a mobile development hub and favorite destination for outsourcing the app successfully. Some of the benefits of choosing App Development Company are as below –
· Cost effective
The app development cost in India is low compared to other countries. India is a favorite outsourcing destination for many because of the talented pool of developers and cost-effectiveness. You can get high end mobile apps developed at low wages.
· Reduced development time
India app developers are very dedicated towards work. They work round the clock to develop the best quality apps. India app developers make sure that the client is informed with real-time updates so that they will get a thorough idea of app development stages. Outsourcing app development in India is seamless, transparent and is beyond perfection.
· Start of art technology
The biggest benefit of outsourcing mobile app development to India is — India app developers incorporate new technologies to give best user experience to customers. It becomes imperative for businesses to keep updated with technology changes. Indian app development agencies have access to high-end technologies, development tools, software license and updates — which makes the process of app development seamless.
Conclusion
Middle East region is a blessed destination with ample of opportunities. The app economy of Middle East is currently driven by social media app, on-demand services and gaming apps. There is a need for better quality and interesting Arabic apps. More than 80% of users in UAE and Saudi Arabia download Arabic apps.
Mobile apps are required for the growth of any business, as they can get connected with the rest of the world in real-time. With a more developed and well-structured mobile app, a lot of companies would make a leap in horizon of success.
In short, this era is all about competition and it is essential to get your business domain acknowledged by the world. And, it is possible only with the best quality mobile app. If you do not have enough expertise consider hiring a top mobile app development company like Promatics Technologies to build your dream app.
