Facebook in Arabia, Tweeting Past the Potentates………
“There are now more Facebook users in the Arab world than newspaper readers, a survey suggests. The research by Spot On Public Relations, a Dubai-based agency, says there are more than 15 million subscribers to the social network. The total number of newspaper copies in Arabic, English and French is just under 14 million. The findings seem to confirm the increasing popularity of the social interaction platforms in the region. Spot On Public Relations, a marketing and communications agency, says the figures show that such platforms are beginning to define how Arabs discover and share information. In Egypt alone, there are 3.5 million users, which is way beyond the circulation of any of the biggest dailies. Even in conservative Saudi Arabia, people have been quick to embrace Facebook. It is the country with the second-largest membership after Egypt. One-third of the population in the United Arab Emirates are said to be on Facebook…………”
That is because Facebook is free-er, in the sense that it is not controlled by the intrusive ruling oligarchies and their retainers . For example, in Saudi Arabia and Egypt the government and the potentates own or control the largest media outlets (asharq alawsat, al-Hayat, al-Ahram, al-Arabiya…..). It is the same in other states, including Syria and Yemen and other Gulf states. They speak for their owners not their readers, their goal; to indoctrinate them with the idea of oligarchy-worship and infallibility of the potentates. Facebook is free in more than one sense.
About the differences of Facebook (and Twitter) use in various Arab states: the countries with more expatriates are the ones with heavier use of these Internet sites. Mainly the Persian Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, where a majority or a higher percentage of the populations are guest workers have the highest use of Facebook. It is a free way to keep in touch, and express yourself (within limits of course).
But don't worry, the oligarchs are beginning to crack down on these last free media.
Cheers
mhg
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