10 Jan 2006

Jeddah-based digital-signage company Spotmedia, operator of a retail network in supermarkets throughout Saudi Arabia, has recently won two new major accounts in its home market 450 store pharmacy chain Al Nahdi, and the 85 branch Saudi British Bank, HSBC’s representative in the kingdom.

The news comes on the back of an announcement to expand into the United Arab Emirates, which, according to the Arabian Research Company, overtook Saudi Arabia as the region’s largest advertising market in 2005.

Spotmedia head of business affairs Ziad Jarrar says: “We are the largest digital-signage company in the Middle East, and have opened a Dubai operation in an effort to expand across the rest of the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries.” Besides Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, those countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.

The company’s flagship operation is its supermarket channel, which recently expanded to 1000 screens. The network was launched in 2004, and is now present in a number of retail chains, including Al Azizia-Panda, the Giant chain, FARM Superstores and the Bin Dawood/Danube Group.

Spotmedia also manages and develops a channel for Mobily, one of the two main telecom operators in Saudi Arabia. Jarrar adds: “We have tied up all their showrooms with digital signage, and narrowcast tailor-made, branded content from our office directly into these showrooms.”