Dubizzle: The Online Marketplace for MENA

By: Sherief Ahmed

Do you shop online? Use Craigslist? Looking for jobs or house hunting?  Well, if you do and you happen to be in the Middle East, have no fear, Dubizzle is here. Dubizzle is an online marketplace covering MENA.  The site contains many categories for example: classifieds, property for sale, properties for rent, job posts, etc. in any language and/or city you select!  Impressive.

Dubizzle is a Dubai based leading online classifieds and community website which connects buyers and sellers across the Middle East and North Africa. Dubizzle has grown to become the number one source for classifieds in the region. With over one million unique visitors on a monthly basis and growing, Dubizzle is committed to improving the browsing and shopping experience for its visitors. Having such a grasp on the community, Microsoft saw great potential in a partnership with them.

Microsoft and Dubizzle have partnered up to enhance the online user experience by using the new features of Explorer 9.0, particularly the ‘pinning’ and ‘jump list’ features, enabling users to manage their activities quicker.  The ‘pinning’ feature enables users to have easy, one-click access to Dubizzle.com by pinning the site as an icon to their taskbar, start menu, or desktop.  The new ‘jump list’ feature is very similar to the Windows 7 jump list, which takes you right to the documents, pictures, songs, or websites you turn to each day.  Jump Lists don’t just show shortcuts to files. Sometimes they also provide quick access to commands for things like composing new email messages or playing music.  For IE9 the feature will have similar functionality such as placing an ad on the site, just a click away. Users can also check the latest news from Dubizzle via the taskbar jump list that provides access to its popular social networking destination on Facebook and its Twitter account.

J.C. Butler, co-founder of Dubizzle said, “Dubizzle has recognized the inherent value proposition in IE9’s custom features. Innovation is a touchstone for both of our companies and IE9 is a perfect illustration of how we put that innovation into action to benefit businesses and users alike.”

Samer Abu-Ltaif, Regional General Manager of Microsoft Gulf, said: “Microsoft has a history of working with cutting-edge internet properties and other online businesses in developing tailored, innovative solutions to specific needs. As the poster children for online entrepreneurship in the region, we’re delighted that the team at Dubizzle has recognized the inherent value proposition in IE9’s custom features. Innovation is a touchstone for both of our companies and IE9 is a perfect illustration of how we put that innovation into action to benefit businesses and users alike.”

With businesses in the region adopting new technologies and techniques, it continues to push the creativity of entrepreneurs.  This type of innovation is critical in the region because it encourages buyers and customers to connect online, increasing efficiency.  Internet culture in the MENA region is getting things done and they are just getting started.

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