J. Walter Thompson Middle East and Africa’s Innovation Group released its sixth annual consumer trends report, covering the MENA region for 2018. The “Future 100 Trends and Change to Watch in MENA” captures key themes accelerating the pace of change for consumers in the fast and dynamic economies of Egypt, North Africa, Lebanon, Jordan, the Gulf and Saudi Arabia, spurring similarities with the West.
Authored by Mennah Ibrahim, MEA Director of the Innovation Group, the report is sliced into 10 main categories, including Tech &Innovation. Each trend in the Future 100 MENA Report is part of a growing phenomenon; that Middle Eastern consumers are increasingly identifying themselves as ‘global citizens’. With the universal nature of digital networks, the region is experiencing a significant move towards a post-hipster world, bringing a new spin on parenthood, money and lifestyle matters overall.
Assistive tech:Trend #14
Technology advances in the region are driving creative innovation to help people
with disabilities navigate the world independently. Palestinian mobile app, Swift Braille, assists the blind and visually impaired to communicate with others in writing, via
a customizable soft keyboard. Mindrocket is a Jordanian startup that offers assistive technologies for the deaf and hearing impaired.
Saving the planet:Trend #16
With the prophecy of a global climate crisis as early as 2030, the powers of tech are being summoned for the good of the planet. Dubai is building a natural desalination factory, providing fresh water for Dubai and cities around the world. Using Jellyfish DNA and mangrove roots, this breakthrough in renewable biotechnology may help solve the global climate change problem.
5G:Trend #15
Fifth-generation mobile phone networks will start to roll out sometime between 2018
and 2020, and every device maker worth its salt is staking out its turf. GSMA predicts there will be more than 50 million 5G connections across the MENA by 2025, with 5G networks covering approximately 30% of the region’s population by that point. The Gulf states are poised to be amongst the first in the world to launch commercial 5G networks.
Commenting on the report, Mennah Ibrahim said: “Borders are collapsing at the touch
of technology, causing much faster trend evolution and similarities with the West, as the Middle Eastern consumer increasingly identifies as a ‘global citizen’. Last year, I wrote about the growing demand for brands and lifestyle products to offer Muslim-centric options of diverse identity, social justice and social impact. Interestingly, these recurring themes, along with other emerging trends, are now flowing faster in the opposite direction. This East to West exchange is making those trends’ influences felt across consumer categories around the globe – even through technology.”
To download the full report: https://jwtmea.com/F100mena2018/