ATTN: News Editor	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, May 22nd, 2002
‘ARAB INTERNET WORLD ON PAR WITH TOP WORLD PLAYERS’ Maktoob.com becomes first online Arab community to achieve 2 million registered members   Dubai: Maktoob.com, the popular online destination for Arabs worldwide, has said that the overwhelming degree of maturity achieved by the Internet in the Arab world in such a short time was one of the main reasons attracting major international players to explore the exciting potential of the region’s IT industry. “In a region once chiefly known for its oil reserves, the Internet has ushered in a new era of business understanding, with major IT corporates seeking strategic alliances with local companies and employing professionals from this region,” explained Samih Toukan, CEO of Maktoob.com.“Naturally, this has spawned many new business ventures and generated thousands of employment opportunities for our people.” Toukan added that recognising the trend and the demand for IT solutions from the region, Maktoob.com was one of the first companies to enter into strategic alliances with leading companies spanning from Europe, the United States, Africa and the Far East. The company’s sophisticated range of web-based communications solutions have been employed not only by individual users but also top corporates and media organisations around the world. Beginning with offering online Arab users the first free, Web-based, bilingual Arabic / English email, Maktoob.com diversified to providing a range of IT services, including extremely sophisticated communications and email solutions to organisations all over the world. Toukan pointed out that at the same time, changing world dynamics had motivated regional Arab governments to explore the potential of the online medium and encourage business organisations to exploit the opportunities offered by the Net.“With more and more governments in the Middle East actively promoting the spread and propagation of the Internet, the traditional barriers that divide people and organisations across the region have come crashing down,” he added.   Toukan’s statement comes close on the heels of Maktoob.com recently notching up two million registered members, making it the largest online community in the Arab world. He added that the landmark development – in just four years of the company’s formation – reflected the fact that the region’s IT industry was capable of creating and offering indigenous Internet solutions. “Our achievement of two million registered members in such a short time is a resounding victory for the Arab Internet world,” explained Hussam Khoury, President & Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Maktoob.com. “It is also a classic example of how awareness about the Internet – till recently a new phenomenon – has spread so rapidly among Arab online enthusiasts.” Khoury attributed his company’s success to a string of well-designed marketing campaigns complemented by Maktoob.com’s diversification into other Internet-related businesses.“Maktoob.com remains steadfast in its commitment to providing our members with extremely sophisticated and reliable communication solutions,” he explained. “In fact, we are one of the first Internet sites to offer virus-free communication tools, which have been developed by our in-house team of professionals.” Releasing statistics about Maktoob.com memberships, Khoury pointed out that Saudi Arabia formed a majority of the total Maktoob.com membership (17.75 per cent), followed by Egypt (12.96), Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Students formed the largest community of the registered members, with more than 42 per cent, followed by computer professionals and senior management cadre (see attached chart). “We are constantly exploring and implementing progressive, new ideas so that Maktoob.com remains a premier source of community interaction across many different countries,” Khoury explained. “At the same time, we are still building on our expertise and encouraging other business organisations to build up their own online presence.” Maktoob.com (www.maktoob.com) has become a landmark development for the Arab world, emphasising the region’s growing importance as a key international IT player. Since its launch four years ago, Maktoob.com has played a crucial role in uniting Arabs worldwide by providing sophisticated and reliable web-based communications and community tools, including the Arab world’s first free bilingual Web-based email service.   Maktoob.com is the first Arabic / English web-based email solutions provider and leading virtual community for Arabs around the world. Launched in October 1998, Maktoob.com gained instant success among Arabs around the world. It currently boasts of a membership base of more than 2 million registered users worldwide. Besides the free email service, the company offers a range of interactive web-based facilities including Voice Mail, WAP, a comprehensive business directory, Arabic music, chat, online auction, 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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