Saudi-based English daily, Arab News, has entered an exclusive partnership with online polling firm YouGov.
The deal will see YouGov conduct regular polls relating to the MENA, which will help shed light on regional sentiment toward international events, as well as producing credible research on international opinion on Arab affairs.
The results of the polls will be published May onwards and will appear regularly in the print and online edition of Arab News.
The partnership will be officially announced at the upcoming Arab Media Forum (AMF) in Dubai on May 1 and 2.
“In an era of fast-moving news cycles, information overload and ‘fake news’, there could be no better time for a media brand to invest in quality, credible research such as that produced by YouGov,” says Faisal J. Abbas, editor in chief of Arab News. “This inevitably means that Arab News readers will enjoy a series of highly insightful research-based reports, which will, in turn, bring us closer to understanding the hearts and minds of the region.”
Stephan Shakespeare, chief executive of YouGov, says that the partnership would result in some valuable research on public opinion in a part of the world where such information is rare.
“In a region where credible statistics can be scarce, our partnership with Arab News will throw light on both how the Arab public feel about pressing global issues, and how the world sees the Middle East,” he says.
“In light of the deep divisions over global political issues and the ‘fake news’ phenomenon, accurate research and information has never been as important as it is now. We look forward to working with Arab News to conduct credible surveys on what people in the region really think — and also what the rest of the world thinks about the region.”
The two companies have worked together previously to produce the Arab News/YouGov US election MENA poll, which provided insights into regional opinion on the November election race. The poll revealed which of the two main candidates — Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton — were most popular in the MENA region, as well as how Arab citizens felt about the key policy statements.
