The internet infrastructure in the Middle East is growing, as is online content in Arabic, though it still isn't enough, says Mr Tarabzounil – Arabic represents only 1.5 percent of total online content, when 5 percent of the world's population uses the language.

As content increases, commerce will follow, he says. "We're getting into the space between content and monetization," he says.

In the 22 countries in the region, there are 63 million internet users, representing an 18 percent penetration rate, says Mr Tarabzounil. "This shows the huge gap and the growth potential as well that will hit very soon."

But there still are several roadblocks hindering development in the region, according to Mr Tarabzounil:

• The cost of broadband access is relatively high.
• The lack of high quality Arabic content remains an issue. "Much of the Arabic content online resides in forums, and the major negative of forums in the Middle East is that they don't provide a good user experience."
• The region has low credit card penetration rates, and a lack of online forms of payment. "A lot of small and medium size businesses in the Middle East are not connected to the internet, and that's a shame," Mr Tarabzounil says.