Jeeran Research launched in Middle East

Akkawi told Research that the firm is recruiting panel members from Jeeran, the Middle East’s largest user-generated content community, which has 1.4 million members and 7 million monthly users. She said Jeeran Research is hoping to recruit between 250,000 and 300,000 panel members by August 2010.

The firm will start undertaking surveys in August. Akkawi said that several potential clients had shown an interest in working with the agency when it becomes fully operational. The firm will offer monthly omnibus studies, syndicated surveys, tracking studies and customised research.

In the mean time Akkawi said the firm is concentrating on recruiting profiled panels across 18 countries in the MENA region.

During her time at Maktoob, Akkawi was a regional research manager and at Ipsos she headed the mystery shopping business in MENA. The Jeeran Research business was launched with financial backing from Jeeran, Intel Capital and IV Holdings.