Facebook opens office for Middle East, North Africa

Facebook in Arabic Global social online network, Facebook, opened Wednesday a sales office in Dubai Wednesday, expanding its operations in the Middle East and North African market, where it says it has some 45 million users.
Facebook\'s Mena team \'will work with brands across the region to help them harness the power of the world\'s largest social network\', it said in a statement released at a press conference in the Gulf emirate.
Joanna Shields, Facebook\'s vice-president and managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the network has some \'45 million users\' in the Mena region, adding that the network\'s first office in the region was to \'share our experience\'.
\'We already have strong partners in the region that are using Facebook in innovative ways to achieve and realise the power of social network,\' said Jonathan Labin who will be heading the new office said.
He named several advertising clients in the region, including Dubai\'s Emirates Airlines and Doha-based Al-Jazeera television.
Facebook, which boasts 901 million monthly active users, was recently listed on the US Nasdaq stock exchange, but its shares have tumbled since then.
Earlier Tuesday, Facebook shares closed with a loss of 9.68 percent at $28.82, dropping below $30 for the first time and ending down more than 24 percent from its offering price of $38 on May 18.