YouGov shifts focus to online-only business in MENA

The move follows an announcement from the company earlier this year that it would move away from offline research operations in MENA towards an online-only offer.

YouGov has taken “the strategic decision to step away from its custom research operation across MENA”, the company said, and will now focus all work in the region on its data products and data services.

The YouGov online consumer panel in the region covers 21 MENA markets, and has grown from 670,000 survey completions in 2012 to 3.4 million in 2016/2017, the company said.

YouGov launched in MENA in 2005 with the establishment of its Dubai office. The company has two other offices in UAE (Jeddah and Riyadh) and an office in Erbil, Iraq.

The company said it is focusing its efforts on online products as a result of the growth in online consumption in the region in recent years.

Revenue for Middle East operations declined by 20% as a result of restructuring within the custom research division, according to YouGov’s interim financial results for the six months to 31 January 2018. The data services division, meanwhile, grew by 22% in the region in that period.

Sundip Chahal, chief operating officer at YouGov, said: “We continue to see MENA as a key region for YouGov and our commitment to delivering the highest quality and online research in the region is a testament to that. Clients across MENA are now well-versed in online research and they like that our data products and services allow them to take control of the research experience. We want to target our efforts at both growing our online panels across the market and also focus on working with clients on online-only work.

“Today 173 million people in the Arab world are connected online, a figure that is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years. Taking this strategic decision means we are best placed to take advantage of this sea change and deliver quality online research to our clients across the Middle East.”