Thought Leadership

MNP in Saudi Arabia

By Ahmad Al-Assad, Maktoob Research

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 it. 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.

Islamic Banking: Opportunities and Obstacles for the U.S. Financial Industry

The Islamic industry has grown dramatically since the 1960s into a multinational industry with a substantial impact on global finance. This sector largely involves religious (Shari’ah) and cultural norms into its mission, transactions and processes. Intending to promote the public good, Islamic banking forbids usury, interest-based financing and profits from alcohol, tobacco and pornography.

It accounts for more than $250 billion dollars, and has grown at least 10% each year during the past ten years. Supporting this extensive growth is oil windfalls from Islamic countries and the fact that the Islamic population (around 1.5 billion) is growing at one of the fastest paces. Currently, only about 300 Islamic banking institutions and European banks like HSBC and BNP Paribas are already in this market. Growth opportunities abound for these companies, and many Islamic Banks have already listed on the London Stock Exchange. Foreign banks, operating in countries with Muslim populations.

The Islamic banking sector reaches a growing segment of the world’s population that seeks alternative financial services. Furthermore, investments in these banks offer some protection from global financial shocks. For instance, Islamic banks were unaffected by the financial shock after September 11.

Estimates forecast that Islamic banks could manage as much as half of all Muslims’ individual savings worldwide in a decade. The industry also caters to a large number of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) given the prosperity in the Gulf region and provide financing to large-scale construction projects in emerging markets. Not only could it possibly give foreign banks a larger reach into the Islamic world and exposure to large deposits in Gulf countries, but also it conceivably opens them to Muslim communities in their own respective countries.

An Eye on the Arab World by Ahmed Nassef, President of Maktoob Research

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.

FMCG Market in Vietnam

An Interesting Look into Vietnam

Our Research on Vietnam’s FMCG Market

Driven by increasing youth expenditures, better distribution networks and strong economic growth, Vietnam’s FMCG industry, which grew 20% in 2006, is expected to grow more in 2007. China’s growth rate was 11%, while the Thai market grew 4% and the Taiwan market grew 3%. 57% of Vietnam’s population is under 25 years old. Vietnam has a higher family density than other countries in Southeast Asia. The country’s monthly expenditure is around $40 USD. The most widely used cosmetic category in the country is facial moisturizers.

New York and Florida Real Estate Competitors

Overview

Major competitors in the United States market are concentrated in three regions: East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast. Particular areas of concentration include California, Missouri, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania.

Some of the major players in the industry that are from Florida and New York as are as follows:

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