Chapter 2

The Diversity of the Arab World

While consumers in the Arab countries share many common bonds, the rich variety of cultures and beliefs in the region makes for a dynamic marketplace. Companies that look at the Arab world as a homogeneous market will find little success. Those that enter the market and come to see its rich diversity will discover an eager consumer base with tremendous purchasing power.

I heard the same cautionary statement from people across the region: not all Arabs are Muslim. Historically, Arab culture and identity spread hand-in-hand with the early expansion of Islam, whose influence still guides the region today, but Arab society also has a long history of tolerating and even embracing people of different faiths. ...

Get The Arab World Unbound: Tapping into the Power of 350 Million Consumers now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.