The Arab World Unbound

Preface: A Consumer Rihla xi Introduction 1 PART I DISCOVERING THE ARAB WORLD 1 DRINKING RED BULL IN DAHIYEH 9 The Arab Market Is Vibrant and Globally Interconnected Arab Consumers Control More Spending Power Than You Think The Shadow Economy Shades of India and China Opportunities Beyond Crude Oil and Abaya Household Spending in the Arab World Beyond Boycotts and Barriers Chicken Fights: Local Competition in the Arab Market The Global Emergence of Arab Brands A Worldwide Hub: The Globally Connected Arab World The Arab World Is Neither CNN's nor Al Jazeera's 2 THE DIVERSITY OF THE ARAB WORLD 51 No Harm in Haram Not All the Consumers in Arab Countries Are Arab The Diversity of Arab Consumers Segmenting the Arab Consumer Markets Embracing the Diverse Habits of Arab Consumers Language Differences The Market Dominance of Saudi Arabia and the GCC Saudi Arabia's Influence Within Other Markets Think Regional, Act Local 3 ISLAM MATTERS: THE IMPACT OF THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM ON CONSUMERS IN THE ARAB WORLD 87 The Difference Between Culture and Religion Why Shahada Matters Why Salah Matters Why Sawm Matters Why Zakat Matters Why Hajj and Umrah Matter Islam in the Everyday PART II TAPPING INTO THE WELL OF ARAB CONSUMERS 4 THESHABAB: TAPPING INTO THE ARAB YOUTH MARKET 127 The Shabab Demographic Dividend The Shabab Crave the Best Brands, Wherever They Come From The Shabab Generation Is Molding the Consumer Market The Shabab Generation Is Changing the Arab Workforce The Shabab Are Transforming the Private Sector The Shabab and Education The Shabab and Marriage 5 ARABIA TWO: TAPPING INTO THE ARAB MIDDLE CLASS 157 The Rise of the Middle Class Is Changing Arab Consumer Markets Identifying the Arab Middle Class Tapping into Arabia Two Tapping into Arab Consumer Power at All Levels Urbanization, Modern Trade, and Arabia Two Arabia Two and the Balance Between Tradition and Modernity 6 TAPPING INTO THE MARKET OF ARAB WOMEN 185 Arab Women Have Money to Spend Educated Women Are Reshaping the Arab Market The Arab Woman as a Consumer Inside and Outside: The Dual Identities of Arab Women Tapping into the Arab Beauty Market The Arab Woman as Wife and Mother Arab Women as Head of the Household The Veil Doesn't Hide the Arab Woman's Mind Arab Women as Business Leaders Arab Women Are Reshaping the Region on Their Own Terms 7 TAPPING INTO THE ARAB TECHNOLOGY MARKET 229 The Spread of Internet Use Opens Up New Paths to Consumers The Rise of Social Media Tapping into Arab E-Commerce Using Technology to Recapture the Golden Age On the Go: The Market for Mobile Phones Building the High-Tech Industry in Jordan The Technological Arab Spring 8 TAPPING INTO THE ARAB MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT MARKET 257 Television Advertising in the Arab World Arab Cinema and Film Dancing in the Desert: Music in the Arab World Art in the Arab World Books and Bookstores The Birth of an Arab Superhero 9 TAPPING INTO THE ARAB DIASPORA 299 Linking the Diaspora to the Arab World Remittances Constitute a Critical Piece of Many Arab Economies Tapping into the Arab Diaspora The Arab Diaspora Has Made a Name for Itself Tapping into Opportunities Around the World You Can Go Home Again The Diaspora Is Bringing Different Worlds Together PART III CONCLUSION 10 REBRANDING THE ARAB WORLD 335 Yalla Arabia! Capturing the Region's Yalla Energy with a New Arab Brand Sustaining the Yalla Energy of Family Businesses Harvesting the Yalla Energy of Arab Youth Fueling the Yalla Energy of Arab Entrepreneurs Enabling a New Yalla Energy Among Disadvantaged Arabs A Call to Action The Richness of the Past and the Promise of the Future Acknowledgments 373 The Author 391 Index 393