Strong online presence highlights the success of 13th Ramadan Forum

DUBAI- The 13^th edition of the Ramadan Forum, which kicked off on July 3^rd, concluded on July 14^th, engaging a growing number of participants including residents and tourists, on its official website, social media accounts and mobile applications.

Instagram was the newest addition to the forum’s social media reach, offering the region’s online users an additional platform to receive all the updates on one of the most popular social networking outlets in the region today.

The number of followers on the forum’s official Facebook page outnumbered every other social account in terms of attracting the largest audience ever. This year, the number of Facebook followers grew to more than 19,800 – a significant increase from last year, with 15,000 new followers this edition.

Over 3,869 participants registered on Ramadan Forum’s official website: www.almultaqa.ae which is accessible in both the English and Arabic languages. The website was also used by group and individual participants of the Iftar program for non-Muslims, another new component of the Ramadan Forum, cherished by several residents keen on learning more about values of Islam and Ramadan traditions.

As part of the enhanced offering this year, Ramadan Forum also launched the mobile Apple and Android applications for audiences to watch the live broadcast of the lectures held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The applications were downloaded more than 21,450 times for each of the two operating systems – underscoring the growing popularity of the Ramadan Forum lectures.

The forum’s official YouTube channel offers online audience the convenience to watch the inspirational lectures at home. The account, which serves as an online library of the most popular lectures held during the current and previous editions of the Ramadan Forum, has hit more than 467,910 views till date. Residents can access the free YouTube account on: http://www.youtube.com/user/almultaqaalramadani

Participants also had the option of registering for upcoming lectures through an SMS service. Over 6,648 residents used the service during this edition.

The social media team responsible for expanding the online reach of the Ramadan Forum, consists of a team of young and ambitious school and university students who work alongside the organizing committee to support them in promoting the agenda of the forum on various social media networks. The team was also responsible for answering any queries raised online.

The 13^th annual Ramadan Forum was organized by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. The 12-day forum offered an enhanced and bigger agenda of activities and events this year, including educational programs, training workshops and more.