My wife once told in one of our shopping If we bought this couch I would never ask for anything . The couch was ugly and expensive, but I took my s words literally and was tempted by her promise: not asking for anything else! Well, I should have done more analysis into If . I found out later that my wife meant that she would never ask for anything unless she liked something else!
One of the most important questions in competitive mobile markets if you can keep your mobile number when changing between mobile operators, would you be willing to change . In most surveys, a two-digit percentage of respondents always say yes.
As a result of this incredible potential and competition booster, a technology called: Mobile Number Portability (MNP) came up. MNP enables mobile users to keep their mobile numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another.
Telecom professionals thought that introducing such technology would change the market shares of operators in any Arab country. In mid 2006, Saudi Arabia was the first Arab country to introduce MNP, followed shortly by Oman. UAE, Jordan and other Arab countries are close to doing the same.
So, did MNP change the market shares in the Saudi Arabian mobile marker? No, it t! After six months of launching MNP to the public for free, less than 15,000 mobile users used it (out of around 20 million mobile lines in Saudi Arabia!). So what were the reasons behind the poor adoption MNP by subscribers? And does this mean that MNP was a failure in Saudi Arabia?
On the contrary, MNP was a success in Saudi Arabia, as it achieved its main objectives: Boost competition between mobile players and enhance quality of services provided in the market. As a reaction for introducing MNP, the Saudi Mobile operators were alarmed. The mobile operators have launched extensive campaigns promoting new services, new offers, reduced rates, as well as enhancing their network quality and coverage. Hence, the reasons behind willingness to change operators vanished. Another minor reason for poor embracement of MNP was the sluggishness of mobile users of going through the process of MNP which takes up to 5 days in some cases.
MNP can be considered a preemptive procedure for fighting monopolistic competition in mobile markets. The telecommunications s main goal of introducing such service is to push operators (and mainly the dominant ones) to compete on the bases of better services, rates and quality, thus boost competition in a healthy way. The regulator t want any operator to depend on the fact that subscribers would not change their operator just because their mobile number is very precious to them.
To summarize: If MNP was introduced in a certain market, mobile operators should either truly satisfy their needs, or risk loosing them.
Contributing Company:
Maktoob research. Dubai, UAE. www.maktoob-research.com/
Contact: Ahmad Al-Assad, Regional Research Manager. ahmad@maktoob-research.com.
Tel: +971 4 360 279
Disclaimer: Views & opinions are solely those of the contributors ...<< MORE >>
Starting a business in a new country is challenging, as it is everywhere. As a foreigner if you intend to set up a business in Turkey, you first have to look at and get familiarized with the Foreign Direct Investment Law (No: 4875), which was introduced in Turkey in 2003. The most important principles introduced by this law are those of non-discrimination and equal treatment, as they set the legal framework of the liberal investment environment in Turkey.
According to the Foreign Direct Investment Law, the prerequisites and obligations for establishing a company with foreign capital will be equal to those for local companies. Consequently, the various compulsory permits in the past in founding a company with foreign capital are now eliminated. Companies that are founded with foreign capital as considered by the rules of the Turkish Commercial Code are considered Turkish companies. Therefore, all duties and responsibilities are identical despite the nature of the company's capital creation.
Additionally, within the new FDI law, there are no rules requiring Turkish participation in the capital or management of a company with foreign capital. A company may be established with 100% foreign capital, and almost all sectors are open to foreign capital. The company establishment procedures have also been simplified to a great extent. Now, with the efficient procedures, a company's registration and establishment of a company in Turkey can be completed in as little as one day. Companies must submit a standard form at one location and will not need to submit applications to many authorities for approvals. Also, the law provides that it is no longer mandatory to establish either a limited liability company or joint stock company. These all are important points to be taken into consideration by foreign investors who plan to do business in Turkey.
If you are opening a company in Turkey, you basically have a couple of options. For instance you can open a liaison office. To undertake this route however, it is important to keep in mind that there should not be any commercial activities on behalf of this company; basically, it is not possible to issue invoices from a liaison office. Another alternative is to open a branch of a foreign company. To pursue this alternative, you need to get permission form the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Ankara and it is possible to undertake commercial activities. Otherwise, you can set up a limited company or set-up a joint stock company. For the former, you need a minimum capital of 5.000 YTL and minimum two shareholders, all of whom can be foreigners, if necessary. For the latter, a minimum capital of YTL 50.000 is required and the number of founding shareholders should be at least five. For both options, the shareholder liability is limited to the capital paid by each shareholder. It is also feasible to transfer shares from an already established company, and thus become a shareholder.
With regard to the employment of ...<< MORE >>
The Middle East market is experiencing lightening economic growth. From tourism to healthcare to real estate, opportunities abound in the GCC market region. So why are companies exploring the Middle East for their business expansions and market research endeavours?
Certainly many reasons emerge from executives. However, here are some of the reasons why some companies are considering expanding into the GCC region.
Economic indicators (October 2007) show a flourishing economy.
As for the United Arab Emirates, for example, the economic snapshot looks positive.
UAE Economic Benefits
UAE Economic Obstacles
Disclaimer: Views & opinions are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect SIS International Inc.'s opinions and methodologies. Under no circumstances will SIS, it affiliates, successors or assigns be liable for any loss or damage caused by anyone's reliance on information contained in this web site.
Copyright (C) 2007. All Rights Reserved.
A report by the Qatar government illustrates the strategic positioning of Carrefour as a mega retailer. In Qatar, for instance, Carrefour as noted as officially noted as having the lowest prices in the country for essential goods. Carrefour could pose serious threats to foreign retailers that wish to expand here, and existing local retailers like Al Meera and Lulu, according to AME.
One of our analysts who has lived and worked in this part of the Middle East has confirmed the rise of Carrefour as a mega retailer in the GCC. He states that stationed in almost every major mall in key markets, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Qatar and Bahrain, and is successful in attracting families to their shopping centers. To maintain this growth, Carrefour is aggressively expanding in key GCC markets.
Beyond the Middle East, the retailer has successfully penetrated Asia. In China, attracting China’s Middle class and developing a strong market positioning of a modern shopping experience. Carrefour had an expansion increase of 25.9% in the China Market for the Third Quarter 2007. The group also is emerging in Latin America, in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia.
Financially, the Group saw international overall sales increase by 5.5% on constant exchange rates and by 5.8% on current exchange rates. Latin American sales overall dramatically increased, up 49.3% on constant exchange rates. Moreover, Brazil’s total sales increased 57.1% on constant exchange rates. Globally, Carrefour opened 385 stores just in Quarter 3, 2007.
The question emerges: Where is the world’s largest retailer Wal-Mart to directly compete on a global basis against this formidable competitor?
Given Carrefour’s successful expansion into the Middle East and South East Asia, it would seem that Wal-Mart is missing other global growth opportunities. Its non-U.S. stores seem to be largely clustered in China, Brazil, Japan and Central America and the UK. Whether because of a fear of American consumer retaliation if Wal-Mart were to operate in the Middle East or a lack of research of the GCC market growth potential, it seems that Wal-Mart is avoiding the Middle East/GCC Market.
According to AME, the Retail sector in the GCC is currently worth $100 billion, second in industry size to the Oil and Energy industry. By 2009, Dubai’s shopping malls alone plan to take in $7.6bn, and the average sales-floor space in Dubai will be 16 times more than that of top 25 economies in the European Union.
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Disclaimer: Views & opinions are solely those of the analyst and do NOT necessarily reflect SIS International Inc.'s opinions, views and methodologies. This information is NOT advice for business decisions. Under no circumstances will SIS, it affiliates, successors or assigns be liable for any loss or damage caused by anyone's reliance on information contained in this web site. Refer to privacy policy for more information.
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These days, it is practically impossible to pick up a major American newspaper without reading about Dubai. Whether it is the construction of the world’s tallest building (which will also include the world’s first Armani super-luxury hotel), the world’s biggest shopping mall or the world’s biggest amusement park (housing the biggest Universal Studios), Dubai’s incredible growth has made it a center of commercial attention and has brought the larger Middle East market into focus for many of the world’s businesses.
However, reaching Arab consumers is not always easy, and trying to reach them online presents its own special set of challenges. While Dubai’s high Internet penetration rates (over 60 percent) should present fertile ground for online research, you’ll be hard pressed to find much of it being conducted, even by local branches of some of the international research firms. And beyond Dubai, the rest of the Middle East offers additional obstacles for online researchers as well.
Read more at: http://www.sisinternational.com/media/content/An_Eye_on_the_Arab_World.pdf
Contributor:
Ahmed Nassef is vice president and general manager of Maktoob Research
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