Are the GCC's Web domains able to tap global customers?

Dubai - Brands in region have huge potential to expand their reach worldwide

Are GCC domain names able to relate globally? The answer - unfortunately - is no, according to an expert.
Many GCC startsups and businesses are not able to relate globally unlike in the US and Europe, said Adam Wagner, founder and CEO of GCCinternet.com and chief advisor of Domainers Meet 2016 - which is being held for the first time in Dubai.
"GCC states offer massive opportunities for the domain name industry and they have proved to be an effective way of marketing communication for both online and offline. The implementation of professionally-selected domain names offer competitive advantage through instant recognition and credibility to the business," Wagner told Khaleej Times.
Having a domain name is the foundation of a marketing and sales strategy and here in the GCC, "we have observed that there are fantastic brands achieving great results but fail to use domain names like it should be used to have a global appeal".
GCCinternet.com has some popular domain names in its portfolio. "We have clientele in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar in various key economic sectors. Dubai's diversification in tourism and real estate are strong pillars of its every growing economy and this has led to sector growth as both of them are interlinked."
The site is helping Dubai businesses to showcase their brands globally more effectively as emirate is already on the global map. The company offers services of online presence, dominant market strategy and brand awareness.
Big business
Annual revenue in the global domain industry is about $2.7 billion to $3 billion, from which approximately $450 million to $500 million is achieved through after-market sales. By the end of 2009, domain registration within the UAE rose by 30 per cent and by 2015 over 175,000 domain names were registered. The domain business industry in the GCC is expected to touch $100 million in the next four years.
Tessa Holcomb, co-founder and CEO of Igloo.com, said: "We are domain advisors and discovered that a lot of awareness is required for Dubai businesses in this region to capture the potential online market or domain market offers. The clients in the UAE and the Middle East are surging more from the finance, banking, insurance and social media sectors."
Domainers Meet 2016 offered a candid view inside the domain sector, which is scarcely tapped within the region, exploring one of the most thriving industries within the online market. The event concluded on Sunday and was hosted by YUP2 Events in association with the World Domain Owners Association.
Daliah Saper, owner and attorney at US-based Saper Law Offices, said: "We have clients from the Middle East region from both startups and businesses and we realised lack of proper legal knowledge often see the start-ups in dispute. Startups need to have proper contract, protect business investments, work with good partners and [have] good records."
- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com