Bahrain publisher plans business directories for Gulf
From The National by Ben Flanagan
A Bahrani company plans to publish new business directories in the Arabian Gulf region – and it insists the print medium is not dead.
Many consumers now rely less on printed phone books and business directories, instead turning to online resources.
But Primedia International, whose publications include the Yellow Pages books in Bahrainand Qatar, says there is still demand for printed directories in the region.
“Print copy is not dead,” said Mike Orlov, the company’s chief executive. “It’s just going to be different to what it was – it’s no longer going to be the only delivery channel.”
Primedia says there is “appetite for hard copy” in the Gulf and plans to launch six printed directory books over the next year.
There was a “massive demand for print” in some regional markets, Mr Orlov said.
The company’s planned new titles include a directory on Qatar’s banking and finance sector, a similar title for the Dubai International Financial Centre and a directory geared towards Qatar’s energy sector. “We’ve never lost sight of the appetite for print,” said Mr Orlov. “Are companies always going to be searching for other companies? Yes they are.”
Primedia’s existing directory titles include listings books called The Gulf Directory and Banks in Bahrain.
The Bahrain-headquartered company has about 300 staff, and operations in all of the GCC states. It makes money through selling advertising in its directories.
While Mr Orlov said print was still important, he added the company also expected some of its business to shift to online.
“Last year, 7 per cent of our revenue was [from] digital. I would estimate that, within two years, we’ll be looking at 20 per cent.”
Primedia was relaunching four of its existing websites, including the Yellow Pages sites for Qatar and Bahrain, Mr Orlov said.
He said the company would also launch two new websites this autumn: a directory connecting GCC businesses with those in India and a networking site for executives based in the Gulf region.
bflanagan@thenational.ae.