Advertising spend in Bahrain grew five per cent last year to $94 million when compared with the previous year's figure of $90 million, and the sector was set for higher growth in 2014 and regain its earlier growth rate, said an industry expert.

According to the Pan Arab Studies and Research Company (PARC)'s latest annual report, the figures confirm earlier forecasts that Bahrain's advertising spend for last year would not exceed $100 million, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

"The all-time high yet was $140 million in 2010, but with the impact of the global financial crisis and local political conditions advertising spend fell to such modest levels," International Advertising Association (IAA) International Council member and Gulf Marcom president Khamis Al Muqla told the GDN.

In Bahrain, last year, the print media had a share of 86 per cent, which included 71 per cent for daily newspapers and 15 per cent for magazines, followed by TV commercials with a share of 8 per cent and outdoor advertising with a share of 5 per cent.

Al Muqla said this suggested that the print media was still in control in the local markets. Its share in Saudi Arabia was 71 per cent - 66 per cent for daily newspapers and 5 per cent for magazines, followed by outdoor advertising with a share of 20 per cent, TV commercials with a share of 7 per cent while radio advertising accounted for a mere 2 per cent.

Likewise, in the UAE, the print media's share was 71 per cent - 65 per cent for daily newspapers and 5 per cent for magazines - followed by outdoor advertising of 14 per cent, TV commercials by 10 per cent, radio advertising by 3 per cent and cinema advertising by 25 per cent.

Gulf advertising spending in some Arab markets such as Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, grew by 14 per cent to $17.66 billion against a total spending on advertising of $15.45 billion in 2012.

"Of special significance is the cut in TV commercial budget since the majority of advertising and publicity targets the Arab satellite channels that broadcast successful mass programmes," he said.

The report said advertising spend focused on Arab satellite TV channels had a share of 70.66 per cent of the total Gulf advertising spend after having increased on the Arab satellite TV channels by 19 per cent to reach $12.47bn compared with $10.53bn in 2012.

Other Gulf local markets witnessed a very modest growth while the Saudi local market declined by around 6 per cent which confirmed that a large proportion of advertising budgets for the local markets led by the Saudi market were cut. – TradeArabia News Service