Global market research company YouGov believes that the only way to create an effective dialogue with consumers in the MENA region is through digital.

As its mobile survey participation climbs to 61 percent in the Arab world, YouGov is making its research operations in the MENA purely digital.

The company says that this decision falls in line with the company’s core global vision of being the leader in online research and data analytics all over the world, an ambition lead by its Founder and CEO, Stephan Shakespeare.

Since launching in the MENA 12 years ago, YouGov has built an online panel of consumers who participate in online surveys across 21 markets. Between August 2016 and July 2017 those members completed over 3.4 million YouGov surveys online, compared to 670,000 just four years before – a testament to the growth of the digital landscape in the Arab world.

Moreover, it’s worth noting how people are participating in market research. In countries such as the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait, more than 75 percent of the country’s population now has a smartphone.

In May 2017, for the first time on the YouGov panel in MENA countries, mobile survey participation overtook desktop participation with 51 percent of YouGov panelists taking part in surveys on their mobile device compared to 49 percent on their desktop.

Since then, mobile survey completion has continued to rise peaking at 61 percent in January 2018, while desktop participation declined to 39 percent.

Encouraged by these numbers, YouGov’s decision to go purely digital is supported with a heavy investment in its online data products and consultancy services to provide insights faster, without comprising on the accuracy of the results.

Sundip Chahal, chief operating office of YouGov says in a statement, “Over the past 12 years we have seen online survey participation rates in MENA soar, and this continuous conversation with consumers has enabled us to build a powerful and robust data set, profiled across thousands of important attitudinal and lifestyle attributes, which we use to address individual client needs.”

“We should always use the most efficient means to connect companies, the media and consumers – it’s now digital across the region and we’re delighted – no one else comes close to matching our experience in the region. Our panelists are telling us they want to participate digitally – so that is how we will focus our operations to best support our clients in the region.”

Commenting on the digital move, YouGov Founder and CEO Stephan Shakespeare adds, “Every single day, with each and every survey YouGov panelists complete, they are voluntarily building a richer profile of their personality and behavior. Couple that continuous conversation with highly sophisticated data analytics and sampling tools from our research experts in Dubai, and you see the enormous potential digital market research can bring to the future of businesses across the Arab world.”