Technology & IT | Friday 8 December, 2017 10:27 am |

Amino, an innovative app that offers a platform to create and find communities for any interest in the world, is seeking to address the online Arabic content gap for regional social media users as it officially launches in the region. The company is driven by an immense untapped opportunity: while Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world, only about 1% of the content currently created online is in Arabic. As an innovative mobile-first platform that fosters social interaction around common interests, Amino expects to see a rise in user-generated content from the region, aiming to build a wealth of Arabic content online.

 

Amino Apps’ mission is to offer a space for every interest in the world, making this one of the most ambitious social media communication tools out there. The app provides a platform with multiple options of expression within a community – called an Amino – and allows users within an Amino to chat via text or video, upload images, videos and GIFs, post and create quizzes, and interact with people that have a shared passion for pop culture, sports, or any specialized interest. Available in Arabic for users anywhere in the world, the company expects  a significant increase in downloads from the Middle East region over the next 12 months as it expands its community of Aminos, bringing the region’s tech-savvy youth a safe, secure, and authentic platform to interact with their regional and global peers.

 

Carl Madi, General Manager of New and Emerging Markets at Amino, said: “In the 18 months since launching our Amino master app, we have added hundreds of thousands of communities on the platform. One of the most significant markets for us has been the Middle East, where we will be looking to grow our range of communities to serve the Arabic-speaking audience with specialized interests.”

 

“Amino has grown to fulfill a unique need of providing digital citizens with a platform to build a global network of peers based on similar interests. Whether these are around more mainstream hobbies such as football or motorcycling, or niche interests such as anime and manga or Korean pop, you can be sure an Amino exists, and in the language of your choice. The personal connections that our users build has resulted in a best-in-class average daily time spend of 70 minutes, higher than the most popular social networking platforms,” Madi said.

 

This strong user engagement, resulting from an immersive, interest-based experience, is attracting partners to the platform as well. Worldwide, Amino Apps has partnered with  various organizations and content creators, such as influencers and bloggers, resulting in strong  levels of engagement with a captive and invested audience.

 

Sarah Moawad, Associate Marketing Manager - MENA, said: “Our strategy of expansion based on language rather than by geography ties back to our vision of connecting people with similar interests anywhere in the world. As a result, we already have over a million members from the Middle East, and are rapidly becoming the #1 platform for niche interests like anime, cosplay, K-Pop, and gaming. We are now expanding beyond the niche and building more localized, region-specific communities.”

 

Communities are run and managed by leaders and curators from within the platform, putting   the users in charge; they choose the kind of engagement and interaction options within the community, the rules of the community, and the content that is featured. They also ensure that content and conversations abide by Amino guidelines, establishing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all.

 

Amino is completely free and available for iOS systems in the Apple Store and for Android in Google Play.