Middle East: A Region with a Mosaic of different Structures
Article abstract, planung & analyse, by John Presutti,
Managing Director, market-i research services,
Leverkusen Germany, August 10th, 2008

The markets of the Middle East have experienced explosive growth in the past 5 years. With soaring oil prices, the positive economic impact is not expected to slow any time soon. Furthermore, the vast financial liquidity created by rising oil prices has resulted in heavy reinvestment within the region itself. As such, all Middle East and North African countries have benefited from this economic boon cutting across all sectors of the economy.

As companies seek to take advantage of this economic renaissance, the need for market research becomes ever more pressing. Market research spend within the Middle East has been growing in excess of 30% per annum as companies rush to deploy research studies across this burgeoning region.

However, companies interested in investing in market research within the region should develop a good understanding of the peculiarities associated with data collection within the Middle East. The Middle East research environment is highly unique with data collection methods entangled with cultural, religious, and legal restrictions. This can be quite challenging for the researcher new to region, particularly those interested in researching consumer opinion and behavior. The implications are far reaching affecting not only research design but also quality control.

This article explores a number of critical considerations clients preparing to undertake research in the Middle East should bear in mind in order to ensure project success. The focus of this article will be design considerations with respect to: sample structure; Data capture, data hygiene and quality control.

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