Criteo, the performance marketing technology company, have found that the mobile share of all digital sales in the Middle East is 38.8%, which is higher than the world-wide average of 35%, according to Criteo’s Q3 State of Mobile Commerce Report. The study, which analyzed industry wide trends, provides marketers with fundamental mobile commerce intelligence for engaging consumers and increasing sales.

Criteo’s research highlights that the share of smartphones of mobile sales in KSA and the UAE is at a substantial 79 percent, outshining their tablet counterparts, which hold a current share of 21 percent. This trend has been observed globally, but is significantly higher in the Middle East. Additionally, Criteo found that mobile order values compared to those of desktop are at a ratio of 82 to 100.

“Mobile must be given increasing importance by ad strategies in order to effectively engage with tech savvy consumers in this day and age, and marketers must closely monitor the consumer’s purchase journey if they want to entice buyers and capitalize on sales,” said Dirk Henke, Managing Director Emerging Markets, Criteo.

Criteo’s findings are in line with the region’s current ecommerce and technology trends, especially with operators in the UAE implementing high-speed mobile internet upgrades to cater to growing consumer demand. According to Ericsson’s mobility report for the MENA region, mobile data traffic is expected to grow 16 times greater than the current 2015 rate, validating the potential mobile has in terms of purchasing power. 2015 has already witnessed a growth of 80 per cent in mobile traffic from the previous year, with the share of mobile digital sales in KSA and UAE markets rising up to 38.8 per cent.

On a global level, Criteo’s study also found that consumers are browsing and buying on all devices–laptops, tablets and smartphones. For brands to succeed, they need to invest in mobile and allocate digital spend strategically:

• For purchases completed on laptops and desktops, 39 percent of buyers use at least one additional device during the shopping process.
• On mobile, 43 percent of smartphone buyers and 47 percent of tablet buyers use an additional device.
• Cross-device purchasers are 20 percent more likely to use their mobile device to complete a transaction.