Southeast Asian digital innovators are placing Dubai as the key hub for expansion into emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa, according to experts set to speak at one of the world’s most influential emerging market technology events, GITEX Technology Week.
Thanks to increasing purchasing power, Internet penetration, and online offerings, the ASEAN e-commerce market is set to grow more than nine-fold from US$7bn in 2013 to more than US$67bn by 2017, according to a recent report by consultancy AT Kearney.
This market growth presents a strong opportunity for digital marketing firms and startups to expand their innovations from Southeast Asia and localise them to emerging markets. Many of these firms are based in Singapore, a major business hub and the top Southeast Asian city for startup support, according to a recent ranking by the Compass Startup Ecosystem.