DUBAI: Snap Inc. has appointed Jake Thomas as head of its UAE operations as the company rapidly expands its local partner ecosystem and seeks to deliver more opportunities to consumers and brands than ever before.  

Based in Dubai, Thomas joined Snap three and a half years ago as one of its first hires in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. He was previously the head of agency development for Snap MENA. He has played a key role in building the MENA business, working with local and regional agencies and brands.

Thomas has been in the region for the last eight years, previously overseeing Marketing Solutions in MENA for LinkedIn. Prior to that, Thomas was instrumental in driving digital transformation with Telegraph Media Group, based in the UK.

Since Snap set up its regional headquarters in Dubai in early 2017, the UAE has been a crucial launchpad for the company in producing more locally relevant content, introducing new creator platforms and products, and unleashing creative campaigns with local and pan-regional brands. Currently, Snapchat reaches around 60 percent of 13-24-year-olds in the UAE and more than one in three people between the ages of 13-34.  

Hussein Freijeh, general manager of Snap Inc. for MENA, said: “Over the last few years, we have been thrilled to grow our presence across the MENA region from the UAE, which remains our business hub for many regional clients and agency partners. We also have a highly engaged audience of Snapchatters in the UAE. We see a significant opportunity to grow that audience even further by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. Jake is the right evangelist to carry Snap’s vision forward in the UAE as we move from strength to strength.”

Thomas added: “As a team, we believe that reinventing the camera represents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people connect and communicate in the UAE. We are known for creating products that have become standards across mobile communication and content, including vertical video and Stories. As we continue to lead in the mobile space, I am excited to work with our UAE-based clients and partners, to further unlock the potential of Snapchat, for both brands and our community.”