About Our Region

Definitions of the Middle East vary, but the member states of the Arab League (www.arableagueonline.org) comprise 22 countries stretching from Mauritania on the North West African coast through to the Sultanate of Oman on the Indian Ocean and a population of over 200 million Arabic speaking people.

The 'Arab Middle East' region or Arab World itself comprises four main areas: the North West African Maghreb, North East African Mashreq, Eastern Mediterranean or Levant and the Gulf or AGCC (Arab Gulf Co-Operation Council) countries.

The Arabic language, both 'classical Arabic' and in a number of strong regional dialects, is spoken throughout the Arab world. Many businessmen speak English and/or French in the region: French is a common second language in North Africa, Lebanon and Syria, while English is more commonly spoken in the GCC states (Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). The large expatriate population resident in the GCC includes nationalities from all over the world, while centuries of trading with Iran and the Indian subcontinent has led many GCC citizens being able to communicate in Hindi, Urdu and Farsi. This variety of languages and differences in common usage has heavily influenced the development, languages and distribution of national and Pan-Arab media.

The basic infrastructure in the main commercial markets of the AGCC, Levant and Egypt is developed and major business facilities are in place. However, much of the region is still involved in the development of national and regional infrastructures, driving significant opportunity in a wide range of business areas, from construction and telecommunications through to major opportunities in retail, logistics and consumer goods.

A significant world market with enormous natural resources, intellectual capital and market potential, the Middle East is also a region where public opinion and political developments can define success and failure with lightening speed; investment and innovation alone are not enough: regional knowledge and expertise is vitally important when communicating to this diverse and fast growing region.