OpenSooq, an Arabic online and mobile classifieds player operating in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), has announced that its mobile application has surpassed two million downloads within the first year of its launching, making it the largest mobile classifieds application in the Mena region.

The company released its free mobile app on iOS and Android in October 2013 and according to Google Play statistics, already has more downloads than its competitors combined (Nasper’s backed Dubizzle, Rocket Internet’s backed Lamudi, Avito in Morocco, among other local and regional players).

The platform receives more than quarter of a billion page views of traffic per month with phenomenal month-on-month growth, making it among the leading online marketplaces in the Mena region.

OpenSooq was founded in 2008 by Salah Sharef, and became part of iMENA Group in 2012.

OpenSooq allows sellers to offer their products and services online with no intermediaries to millions of users, while buyers can easily browse thousands of goods, products, and services covering various categories including real estate, automotive, electronics, furniture, jobs, and more.

The app gives users the same convenient functionality that they enjoy on the website, allowing users to browse and post their ads to buy, sell, or rent all types of products and services, in addition to posting and applying for job vacancies.

Given the Middle East's healthy smartphone penetration rates relative to developed countries, reaching as high as 73 per cent in Saudi Arabia compared to 62 per cent in the UK, the achievement is sure to bolster the company's future growth.

Salah said: “People in the region need an easy way to buy and sell from each other online, and OpenSooq has been at the forefront of this demand – connecting millions of users directly with each other and allowing them to transact a wide range of products and services online for free.”

Adey Salamin, founder and CEO, iMena, said: “The explosive growth in mobile internet within the region will re-shape the Arabic classifieds market. It is exciting to help drive OpenSooq to scale to new heights while leveraging our understanding of the local and regional markets. Surpassing 2 million mobile application downloads plus achieving a growth of over 20 times in our mobile site traffic this year is only the beginning while we continue to innovate our product offerings to enable users to sell and buy for free.” – TradeArabia News Service