Seeking to develop its already existing and flourishing activities in the region, LINKdotNET, the leading Internet Service and Solutions Provider in the Middle East, subsidiary of Orascom Telecom Holding Company, today hosted an exclusive session on the future and potential of online advertising in the region at the ’Microsoft Advertising Summit‘ in Dubai.

This potential was recently highlighted in a ‘Research and Markets’ report titled “Middle East broadband forecast to 2010” that showed, and projected a high demand for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) products and services in the Middle East.

This soaring demand is evident on the internet with portals such as MSN Arabia which maintained an internet population estimated at over 33 million, together with Hotmail users reaching almost 16 million this year. On Windows Live Properties, approximately 28 million internet users in the region were found to have a Hotmail account and almost 21 million were Messenger users.

“We believe that Hotmail and Messenger are very strong and indispensable online tools for advertisers to reach their target audiences. Latest research shows that at least one out of every two internet users in the region is actually a Hotmail user, which further underscores their importance,” said Mohamed El Mehairy, Managing Director of Connect Ads, a subsidiary of LINKdotNET and the exclusive media agent for MSN Arabia, MSN Maghreb, and their network.