DUBAI — New results released by SEMrush, the award-winning all-in-one digital marketing suite, identifies the UAE and Saudi Arabia as clear leaders in GCC-wide online searches relating to digital security and transformation over the last 12 months.

The back-data study covered four key strategic digital terms: ‘digital transformation’, ‘digital marketing’, ‘cyber security’ and ‘computer security’, with the significant increases in searches highlighting how the two Gulf states are setting the regional data protection agenda and leading demand.

In terms of online search volume trends from August 2018 to August 2019, the UAE’s most searched term was ‘digital marketing’, closely followed by ‘cyber security’. As for year-on-year growth, the fastest growing UAE search terms are ‘digital marketing’ at 28 percent, followed by ‘cyber security’ at 25 percent, ‘digital transformation’ at 24 percent and ‘computer security’ at 23 percent.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia witnessed the largest single market jump in related search volumes during the same period. The Kingdom’s fastest growing related term was ‘digital transformation’, which witnessed 123 percent growth, with ‘digital marketing’ and ‘computer security’ at 84 percent and 30 percent growth, respectively.

“These insights provide marketers working within this sector greater clarity into the interests of residents and companies across both the UAE and Saudi Arabia. By harnessing this data, they will be able to support their own marketing campaigns and outreach to acquire new business leads as interest and investment grows,” said Adam Zeidan, Corporate Communications Manager at SEMrush for MENA region. “According to Internal Data Corp, the UAE and Saudi Arabia will dedicate USD 8 billion and USD 11 billion, respectively, to IT and digital transformation in the next year, something marketers need to be monitoring.”

In recent years, the GCC has witnessed major digital initiatives by the public sector that have accelerated interest on the importance of moving forward issues such as digital transformation, digital marketing and cyber security. In line regional digital infrastructure and technology investment, the SEMrush search data identified these digital trends and sheds light on opportunity areas that could be enhanced further to boost public awareness. — SG