Middle East executives are spending an extra 11 hours a month online sharing their professional experiences and learning from their peers, according to a new study by online business networking service www.MeettheBoss.com.

MeettheBoss surveyed 6,000 of its 27,000 Middle East members to understand more about what effect Web 2.0 has had on the region’s business world.

The survey asked its executive users what direct value they gained from spending time running blogs, writing tweets and connecting with other executives on sites such as Linked-In, Xing, MeettheBoss, Ryze, Facebook and Twitter.

The answers revealed that executives proficient with online activities are spending an average of 11 hours more per month online than this time last year – and over 90 per cent of respondents said they felt their time online was ‘very valuable’ to their daily role, a statement said.

Professionals are rushing to the Web for immediate answers to their most pressing questions. “Online business networking is growing at a fast rate in our region,” says MTB member Abdul Rashid, project director at Gulf One Bank. “Sites like MeettheBoss and Linked-In are a great help as they can gather all the information I need on a daily basis. I can create and join discussions to establish new contacts with like-minded professionals.”

Finding answers for your business is one thing, but most Middle East executives have spotted more ‘individual’ advantages to this new phenomenon.  Reports show that a higher percentage of Middle East participants are using online networking sites more than any other region. They are being used as a tool for the Middle East to communicate with the rest of the world, in order to create more business, build their brand and ultimately grow.

“Everyone knows that building contacts in the industry can strengthen your career prospects, but sharing your knowledge with the world is a very effective personal branding exercise,” says Adam Burns, editor-in-chief of online business channel, MeettheBoss.TV.

Many thought leaders agree with him. Michael Noble, VP for exploration at Jura Energy;  Ibraheem Assaadan, VP for exploration at Saudi Aramco; Manfred Fitzgerald, director of Brand & Design at Lamborghini, and Vinton Cerf, chief internet evangelist at Google have all shared their expertise on the site.

"Though most experts agree there is no substitute for face-to-face networking, using social media tools correctly can bring substantial return on your time investment. You can become a thought leader in your niche environment overnight and even pull business to your door," he said. "The challenge is finding the best one for you." - TradeArabia News Service