At our June event CoE E-Commerce panel Going Digital: Offline Businesses Moving Online, moderator Omar Christidis of ArabNet, introduces panelists Hassan Mikail of Aramex, Michael Trueschler of Citruss TV, and Alfonso De Gaetano of Google.  

Mikail discusses how Aramex is creating solutions for offline retailers to create an online presence in as little as one week, challenging the perception that creating a website for your business is too much money and work. He explains that the biggest thing preventing offline businesses from creating their own website is fear.

Trueschler discusses how Citruss TV has created an e-commerce platform based off of their televised product showcases. The site allows viewers to find and purchase the products they see on TV online.

De Gaetano addresses internet penetration in MENA and delves into the trends and statistics Google has collected about online search, YouTube views, SEO, mobile strategies, and smartphone penetration. He presents data that highlights internet opportunities in MENA, noting internet trends in Saudi Arabia and the UAE in particular. De Gaetano reflects that the level of understanding of online business in MENA and the potential for offline businesses to expand online is growing slowly.