Print media in the region “has been the main host for advertising. This tradition has been perpetuated and strengthened, as a result of the historical fact that print media was run by the private sector, as opposed to stat-run TV and radio,” Sami Raffoul, president of PARC, stated in the study. “Consequently the print media has evolved very rapidly and has a firm grip on advertising. In most markets it is a ratio of two thirds for print and one third for the rest all combined,” he said, according to Business 24/7.

Television had a 43 percent share of the ad spending in the first half of the year, but it grew at a rate of 19 percent over the same time in 2007, from $1.35 billion last year, to $1.6 billion in 2008, Business 24/7 reported.

Total ad spending in the United Arab Emirates for print media reached $833 million in the first half, an 89 percent share of total ad spending, with newspapers taking $738 million, while magazines took in $95 million, according to Business 24/7.