Snap Inc has appointed Jake Thomas as Head of the UAE. This comes as the company rapidly expands its local partner ecosystem and seeks to deliver more opportunities to consumers and brands than ever before.
Since Snap launched its regional headquarters in Dubai, UAE, in early 2017, the UAE has been a crucial launchpad for Snap in producing more locally relevant content, introducing new creator platforms and products, and unleashing creative campaigns with local and pan-regional brands. Currently, Snapchat reaches around 60% of 13-24-year olds in the UAE and more than 1 in 3 people between the ages of 13-34.
Based in Dubai, Thomas comes into the Head of UAE position having joined Snap three and a half years ago as one of the first hires in the MENA region. He has played a key role in building the Snap MENA business working with local and regional agencies and brands. He has been in the MENA region for the last eight years previously overseeing the Marketing Solutions business in MENA for LinkedIn. Prior to that, Thomas was instrumental in driving digital transformation with Telegraph Media Group based in the UK.
Hussein Freijeh, General Manager of Snap Inc. for the MENA region, said: “Over the last few years, we have been thrilled to grow our presence across the MENA region from the UAE, which remains our business hub for many regional clients and agency partners. We also have a highly engaged audience of Snapchatters in the UAE. We see a significant opportunity to grow that audience even further by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. Jake is the right evangelist to carry Snap’s vision forward in the UAE as we move from strength to strength.”
Jake Thomas, Head of UAE at Snap Inc., added: “As a team, we believe that reinventing the camera represents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people connect and communicate in the UAE. We are known for creating products that have become standards across mobile communication and content, including vertical video and Stories. As we continue to lead in the mobile space, I am excited to work with our UAE-based clients and partners, to further unlock the potential of Snapchat, for both brands and our community.