DMA Announces Opening of Arab Direct Marketing Association (ADMA)

April 20, 2009 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) today announced the formal launch of the Arab Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) at the 2009 Arab Direct Mail & Marketing Forum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Yousef M. Hamidaddin, founder of Direct Marketing Services, was appointed chief executive officer, ADMA.

The well-attended ADMA launch is part of the three-day Forum being held at the Jeddah Hilton Hotel. The Forum is sponsored by US companies including Neilsen Claritas, The Buffkin Group, and Pitney Bowes, and received significant support from both Government agencies and commercial organizations from the Arab Region.

“This is direct marketing history in the making,” said Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan, Ph.D., DMA’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Today’s occasion marks the beginning of ADMA’s mission of facilitating the adoption of the direct marketing process in the Arab world, the access DMA members have to the global marketplace, as well as the development of a global direct marketing process for both.

“ADMA is just one of the steps DMA is taking,” continued Ratan. “DMA members have invested over 90 years in our body of knowledge — direct marketing is being developed in regions around the world, from the Far East, to India, to here in Saudi Arabia.”

“Today our combined efforts change the way communication was, and ever will be in the Arab world,” said Yousef M. Hamidaddin, newly appointed CEO of ADMA. “Using marketing as a medium, we are excited to see our part of the world finally merge with households in the US, and elsewhere, into one data-driven market. ADMA is proud to be the leader for the Arab community, as the direct marketing process will change relationships; unite governments, social networks, and corporations; and truly flourish in our region.”

ADMA has been established as an affiliate to DMA, and is modeled after the “five pillar” structure of service and benefits to members in the key areas of: Advocacy; Reputation Management; Education; Networking and Market-making; and Research. ADMA is strongly supported by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and the Saudi Post, who will work closely with them to develop and grow direct marketing across the global Pan-Arab community.

The Forum also marked the opening of the “Direct Marketing Park,” an industrial zone within the King Abdullah Economic City, designated and designed to service direct marketing organizations. The DM Park has beneficial tax and energy efficiencies for business located within it. The newly opened DM Park will be home to ADMA and also house the center for Direct Mail Development sponsored by the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents more than 3,400 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

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