Entertainment
Middle East flocks to social media during holy month
Middle East flocks to social media during holy month Amanda Fisher / 9 July 2013 Social media usage in the region goes up a third during the holy month of Ramadan, with a greater amount of religious content, a new survey shows. Social media agency The Online Project, which develops social media marketing strategies for companies, monitored 10,000 Twitter users and more than 300,000 Facebook ‘interactions’, such as posts and comments, during last year’s Ramadan, from users in nine Middle Eastern countries — generating so much data they needed to rent a server from online goliath Amazon to store it. Company CEO Zafer Younis said the shorter working hours during Ramadan was the chief reason why media usage spiked across all platforms, with social media use in line with other forms such as television and newspapers. “Also, (it’s summer and) people don’t have many other options before 8pm. And Ramadan is a very social month, it’s known as the social month, people connect with their families and extended families more.” Younis said the social media interactions also tended to have a lot more religious content, with people posting thoughts about the holy month and religion. “From the fan pages that were observed, we can see that when the fan pages post religious content… it has immediately more engagement. This is why we advised brands to tweet their content through the month so it matches the content with users during the month.” The timing of people’s social media usage also changed, with the peak use times changing to reflect the increased nocturnal activity that Ramadan usually brought. In the UAE, peak Twitter usage was at 6pm — in line with many other countries — while peak Facebook usage was at 7pm, right before the evening Iftar broke the day’s fast. Dubai-based Emirati social media user Jalal Jamal BinThaneya, who has used blogs, Facebook and Twitter since 2007, said he would actually quit Twitter during the period. “During Ramadan people don’t have much to do so they’re not utilising their time properly…so they go on Twitter… but the holy month should be spent in a different way, some people quit it altogether.” The special needs and social issues campaigner said he would use Twitter an increased amount the month after Ramadan, as he would begin a new campaign, but wanted to slow down during the religious holiday. “You can get addicted to social media… I believe there are better things to do. There’s a real world out there… we can use our time much more wisely.” The high number of popular religious figures on Twitter was probably one reason for the increase in use, he said. UAE spike smaller Younis said the UAE only saw a 10 per cent spike in social media usage, which was probably attributable to the high degree of expatriates in the country, many of whom were not Muslim so did not change their lifestyle. “A country like the UAE isn’t as affected as Oman or Egypt where we see increases of up to 70 per cent in consumption.” Saudi Arabia also did not see much change, contrary to Younis’s initial expectations. “I assumed Saudi Arabia would be one of the highly affected markets during Ramadan, but actually it’s only around (a) 7 per cent (increase).” Further inquiries with Saudi residents revealed during Ramadan not much changed in the country — “people have this disposable time all year round so they’re free to spend more time online”. But one aspect Younis said he could not explain is why consumer spend shot up during Ramadan as well. “Ramadan is very important for marketers, it is the peak month for advertisers… in the Arab world, 20 per cent of the overall media spending is done during Ramadan… leaving other months an average of 8 per cent.” He said he had been in the industry his entire working life and it remained a “mystery” as to why people were so inclined to purchase goods during the holy month. Marketing opportunity Younis said his company advised their client marketers to make sure they made social media posts and communicated with their communities “at the right time”, in order to maximise exposure. Source of supplied infographics: The Online Project “You might make a post at 3am, but by the time they wake up at 9am it would be flushed down the tweet stream, and most users wouldn’t even get it.” While a 30 per cent jump in social media usage may not seem like a large proportion, it was a golden opportunity for companies hoping to grab a slice of users’ time, he said. Most people had a “Facebook ritual”, during which their social media time was heavily regimented into a daily routine from which they would not deviate. However, increased amounts of time on social media meant there was a vacancy in their schedules. “Basically it’s easier for brands to get (consumers’) attention during Ramadan… because they have more disposable time.” Countries surveyed were the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. amanda@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Asiana says crash pilot was in training
Asiana says crash pilot was in training (AFP) / 8 July 2013 Asiana Airlines said Monday that the pilot in charge when its Boeing 777 crashed in San Francisco was in training for this type of aircraft. Pilot Lee Kang-Kuk, 46, had 43 hours of experience in piloting this type of aircraft although he was well skilled with more than 9,000 hours of flight time under his belt, Asiana said. “It’s true that Lee was on transition training for the Boeing 777”, an Asiana spokeswoman told AFP. But he was accompanied by an experienced trainer, who acted as co-pilot. Asiana said the airliner, purchased in March 2006, had received repairs for oil leaking from an engine early last month. Asiana CEO Yoon Young-Doo on Sunday ruled out the possibility of mechanical failure as the cause of the crash. US investigators said the aircraft was travelling much slower than recommended and a pilot asked to abort the landing moments before the plane smashed into the ground at San Francisco International Airport Saturday. The flight data recorder also showed that the Boeing 777 received a warning that its engines were likely to stall as it approached the runway, where it later burst into flames killing two people and injuring 182 others. The request to abort the landing was captured on the cockpit voice recorder 1.5 seconds before the plane crashed, said National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Deborah Hersman, who is leading the probe. It was the first fatal crash involving an Asiana passenger plane since June 1993, when a Boeing 737 operated by the carrier crashed into a mountain in South Korea, killing 68. Continue reading
UAE-Canada relationship is stronger than ever
UAE-Canada relationship is stronger than ever Amanda Fisher (amanda@khaleejtimes.com) / 8 July 2013 In the next in a series of fortnightly interviews with ambassadors to the UAE, Amanda Fisher speaks with Canadian Ambassador Arif Lalani about the “new Middle East”, enhanced military ties and his burgeoning passion for falconry The Uganda-born Canadian Ambassador to the UAE has had many official stints in countries in the Middle East — often more dangerous than his current patch. In 2006-07, he served as Canada’s ambassador to Iraq, before moving on to Afghanistan, where he remained ambassador till 2008 (“we were the third largest provider of development assistance at the time”). He has served as the ambassador to Jordan, and worked in Turkey and the US. Lalani moved to Canada in 1971, at the tender age of 5, before picking up a degree in International Relations from the University of British Columbia and a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics some years later. The ambassador, who doubles as Canada’s first Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, has been in the country little under a year, arriving in October last year — “As Emiratis like to say — I haven’t spent a summer here yet.” He lives with his “partner in (his) work here”, New Zealand-born Canadian wife Katie, who, in addition to a private sector career, works as a volunteer for INJAZ-UAE, an organisation of corporate mentors who inspire young people to reach their full potential through various skills programmes. The couple are also involved with the Terry Fox runs around the country, which commemorate the efforts of the Canadian athlete and cancer victim to raise the profile of cancer, and have raised more than $5 million for cancer research in the UAE. Lalani, who sits on the Operating Board of Directors of Canadian think tank Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI) (incidentally chaired by the founder of BlackBerry — “a great Canadian game changing invention”) as well as the board of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, says he has enjoyed every minute of his time in the UAE. Fortunately, the official likes to drive, and says he has been using that vehicle to try to explore all the emirates, which he is still discovering. “I love being in the desert, though I spend a lot of time on the highway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai!” Lalani has also discovered a passion for falconry, and enjoys watching the predatory birds train, race and hunt. He says he is also learning about Emirati poetry, while he has been exploring the local arts scene, including Abu Dhabi Art, Art Dubai and Design Days Dubai. “I would like to have more Canadian artists in the UAE.” The UAE is a model of what I call enlightened accelerated development. Through its visionary leaders, it has achieved one of the highest standards of living, anywhere in the world, in just one generation. It is a source of stability, and economic growth throughout the region and globally. It represents for me the “new Middle East” — with a much needed sense of aspiration to be the best in the world. In this respect, Canada supports its efforts to continue to improve on good governance, innovation, education and health. I believe the UAE’s major challenge is the diversification of its economy; and concern for stability in an increasingly volatile neighbourhood. I also think achieving the Emiratisation goals is a key objective for the UAE. Canadian institutions and Canadians can be partners in this exercise also, in terms of training and capacity building. To help Emiratis and Canadians understand how important we are to each other — that’s priority one. I believe that the UAE and Canada are strategic partners for the future and I want to help build that foundation. That’s why we announced a shared Strategic Agenda in April where our governments agreed to cooperate on prosperity, security, and development. Our relationship is stronger than it has ever been. The UAE is Canada’s largest export market in the Middle East, trade is up this year, and over 40,000 Canadians live and work here, with 150 Canadian companies doing business here; the UAE is amongst the top 10 investors in Canada. Our foreign ministers have visited each other four times in less than a year, and our Trade Minister will visit soon also. We are so pleased the visa regime has been restored by the UAE government, and we have been part of the nation-building story of the UAE. The Higher Colleges of Technology model was based on a Canadian educational system and the design and construction of landmarks like the first Abu Dhabi Airport and the original Maqta Bridge were built by Canadian firms. And of course the Canadian mint produces the UAE’s dirham coins. In modern times – the iconic Emirates Towers were designed by Canadian architects, the fountains at Burj Khalifa are Canadian, and don’t get me started on Tim Hortons! Is it fair to say the Canadian and UAE governments have had a rapprochement of sorts after the visit by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in April? As I said, the relationship is stronger than ever and the foreign ministers are friends. My minister sees UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan as a trusted partner. We understand the strategic potential of the relationship. Canada and the UAE are focusing their efforts on implementing the shared strategic agenda announced in April to cooperate on creating economic prosperity for both countries, strengthening security, and advancing development in third world countries. It is a fairly easy and simple process for Emiratis to obtain a visa to Canada. We offer a multiple entry visa valid for up to ten years, with a processing time of 5 days, and do not generally request an interview. Emiratis and UAE residents can now also apply through a Canadian visa application centre (VAC), which has longer working hours. Are the UAE and Canadian governments discussing landing rights in Canada for Emirates and Etihad planes, and in the UAE for Air Canada planes? As permitted under our air services agreement, discussions take place periodically between Canadian and UAE civil aviation officials which allow for the review of new market developments. Air Canada and Etihad Airways recently announced a code sharing agreement, which will enhance business and leisure travel between the two countries. We work very closely with Emiratis on a number of security and military issues here and abroad. For example, the UAE was an important ally for Canada in Nato operations in Libya. I was pleased to see the visit of the Canadian navy ship HMCS Toronto to ports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the last few months. We continue to enhance our cooperation. Continue reading
