The MENA region is among the top three global markets for social media platform Snapchat, developed by technology firm Snap Inc, according to Hussein Freijeh, general manager of the firm’s regional team.

Freijeh said the GCC market is particularly strong when it comes to consumer engagement levels.

“Even before opening the Dubai office, our numbers and engagement levels in this market, especially the GCC, have been really massive. And if you look at the last two quarters, MENA has been in the top three global markets for Snapchat, with only a year in, and already [as strong as] markets such as Germany, France and the UK,” he said.

Snapchat is especially popular in Saudi Arabia, where Freijeh sees major growth potential and expansion. Snap Inc.’s current Dubai team comprises around 20 members, though plans to increase that are underway to keep up with regional demand.

Freijeh also said MENA users have reacted better than expected to ads, which have seen similar engagement levels to offerings.

The company’s growth in the region has also been fuelled by revenue from e-commerce related ads, which Snapchat has been testing since February this year.

“From a business perspective, the return on investment (ROI) we’ve been able to show clients has been a major driver… Now a year into the business, the ROI that Snap Inc. is showing is a major driver behind the growth we’re showing in the region, as 40% of our revenue in the last quarter was coming from e-commerce [campaigns],” he said.

The GM added that many customers were repeat users, not one-time purchasers.

“That’s just proof that if you’re not showing strong ROI, e-commerce [players] will not spend. That’s the most performance driven sector you’d see in any market. And it’s already making us a major player here,” he said.