Despite 56 million Internet users in the Arab world, more than 10 million Facebook users and the majority of Internet users in countries such as the United Arab Emirates using social media, online marketing remains little understood across the Middle East.

Digimedia.ME, which takes place on May 5th and 6th in Dubai, aims to help marketing professionals in the region better understand online marketing. Organised by TME and Sekari, the two day summit has already garnered the support of Yahoo! As strategic partner alongside a suite of other partners such as Bluebeetle, Effective Measure, Google, ikoo, Reality Digital, TBWA, and The Tribe Digital.

"By all accounts, the Arab world's Internet market is now at an inflection point where it is starting to provide much higher returns for marketers. However, due to the region's slow start in Internet adoption, Middle East marketing organisations are far behind their European and US counterparts. Digimedia.ME aims to introduce online professionals with marketing people and help to increase understanding of online practices," said Lee Mancini, CEO of UAE-based search engine optimisation consultancy Sekari.

This first-of its-kind event in the Middle East will engage digital experts on topics including SEO, PPC, social media, email marketing, brand protection, online PR and brand monitoring.

"There's a lot of technology out there," explains Mancini. "But the key for brand marketers is gaining an understanding of what tools to use and how to use them learning from practitioners experienced in the Middle East market to the best effect."

"Everyone in the region's Internet business has witnessed a surge in online activity during the past 18 months and its now time for Middle East marketing to catch up," said Ahmed Nassef, vice president, managing director Yahoo! Middle East. "Every organization needs to know about how online marketing works and the steps necessary to truly harness the power of the Internet."

"Although Internet penetration is generally much lower in the Middle East than in the US and Europe, its now almost doubling every year and the numbers for many countries are commercially very interesting," said Husni Khufash, Google Middle East.

Digimedia.ME aims to develop the market by providing an accessible platform for online professionals to share their knowledge and experience with a growing audience of publishers, marketers, agencies, journalists, engineers, investors, entrepreneurs and industry influencers. In fact, the organizers have made a concerted effort to include speakers from all brand categories, types of agencies, corporations and perspectives.

In addition, by ensuring costs of attendance are subsidized by the partners, Digimedia.me aims to make the event more accessible to delegates from varying backgrounds and foster emerging talent.

"Having been surprised at the exorbitant delegate fees at other conferences, we were keen to keep costs to a minimum, to enable us to attract the very best talent, fostering entrepreneurship from across the sector," added Mancini.

With an emphasis on case studies, whenever possible, the two-day summit is intended to provide a 360 degree view of the online world and opportunities for brand marketing.

Digimedia.ME boasts a broad range of international and regional speakers addressing a useful cross-section of online practices. Speakers at the summit include: Ahmed Nassef, Vice President, Managing Director, Yahoo! Middle East; Albert Dias, Co-founder/ Marketing Technology Director, musafir.com; Artour Severinov, E-Distribution Manager Middle East, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts; Craig Hanna, Training Director, Econsultancy; Dominic Parker, Web Strategy, The Tribe; Husni Khufash, Google Middle East; Kristie Goshow, Founder and Chief Opportunity Officer, smart thinking; Rehan Khan, Freelance business columnist; Mark , Founder of web development agency, Bluebeetle, Kirsten Spence, Digital Brand & Operations Manager, Jumeirah Group; Caroline Whyatt, Portal Manager, AMEinfo.com; Shane Andersen, Web Content Writer, Finetunedcopy.com; Sayed Abu Diwan, General Motors; Alexander McNabb, Group Account Director, Spot on Public Relations; Robert Proctor, Head of EMEA, Reality Digital; J.C. Butler, Managing Partner, Dubizzle; Zeid Nasser, CEO & founder, MediaScope & mediaME; Sameh Lutfi, Head of Client Development, Maktoob Research; and Rakan Brahedni, New Media Relationship Specialist, Nestlé Middle East FZE.

Digimedia.ME has also teamed up with Econsultancy, one of the world's most prominent providers of online marketing insight and training, to provide a full one-day certificated training seminar. The seminar is designed to give marketing executives, entrepreneurs or anyone involved in online marketing a valuable all-round understanding of digital basics such as search engine marketing (SEO), social media marketing and SEO PR. The seminar is being led by respected industry authority and Training Director of Econsultancy Craig Hanna.

"It's an exciting time for Internet marketing in the Arab world," said Mancini. "And we believe that delegates attending next month's summit will really be able to feel the excitement."