ATTN: Business Editor / Internet Editor	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, November 9th, 2000
FIRST ARABIC / ENGLISH ONLINE AUCTION SERVICE LAUNCHED MazadMaktoob offers unique approach to community and online commerce Dubai: In keeping with its commitment to enrich the Arab Internet world, Maktoob.com has announced the launch of the first online Arabic / English auction service, designed to cater to the Arab world’s largest online community. The comprehensive service, “MazadMaktoob” (www.mazadmaktoob.com), joins a wide portfolio of groundbreaking web-based facilities designed by Maktoob.com to satisfy the needs of Arab Internet users, who constantly seek reliable and practical shopping platforms on the Internet. Samih Toukan, Managing Partner of Maktoob.com, explained that the new service would provide an extremely important interface for personal traders (C2C) as well as local and international businesses (B2C) to reach out to their target clients or new markets, using a medium that is affordable, efficient and reliable. “While Maktoob.com is honoured to serve as a crucial link between buyers and sellers, the benefits of partnering with us in this unique concept are immense," Toukan said. “Participating companies are immediately guaranteed an online consumer base of 600,000 registered members, growing at an average rate of 2,000 per day. Naturally, this gives companies an important and affordable medium to propagate their products and services.” Ronaldo Mouchawar, Project Director of MazadMaktoob, said that by allowing a dual language interface (Arabic / English) to the service, MazadMaktoob would help in further consolidating Maktoob.com’s position as the leading provider of web-based communications and e-commerce services to Arabs all over the world.   MazadMaktoob is a completely secure facility where buyers can place their bids on various new and used products. It also provides personal user pages as well as a unique interactive feedback tool that allows users to rate their trading counterparts. The service will provide optimum security for users with MazadMaktoob by using a totally secure online credit card processing system provided by Verisign. However, unlike other e-commerce retailers, where prices are usually fixed, potential buyers can place their bids within a specific period of time. The item ultimately goes to the highest bidder, unless the final price is below the seller-specified minimum value. Buyers do not have to pay anything to use MazadMaktoob while sellers pay only a minor commission in the event of a sale. “We are confident that MazadMaktoob would appeal not only to individuals but also to businesses worldwide,” Mouchawar said. “Other than being the most convenient method of shopping, the service will also provide country targeting and localisation capabilities with users being able to browse through the products by country categorisation, local currency information and real-time currency conversion.” Maktoob.com is the first Arabic/English web-based email solutions provider and leading virtual community for Arabs worldwide. Launched in October 1998, Maktoob.com gained instant success among Arabs around the world. Besides the free email service, the company offers a range of interactive web-based facilities including Instant Messaging, Live Internet Radio Station, Voicemail, a comprehensive business directory, Arabic music, chat, electronic greeting cards and information services.   For more details, please contact, Edward D’Mello Headline Public Relations Tel: 009714 – 3475006; Fax: 009714 – 3475013 e-mail: edward@headlinepr.com
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