Deezer has named Tarek Mounir as CEO for the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and Turkey region.

Tarek will be responsible for growing Deezer’s B2B and advertising business in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, working closely with the company’s global product, marketing and content teams.

He joins Deezer from international broadcast media company Turner, where he spent over eight years growing the business in MENA, Turkey, Greece & Cyprus. He developed relationships with telcos and other commercial partners, as well as building a free-to-air ad sales business in a challenging and competitive landscape.

Following a launch in the MENA region in October 2018, Deezer will open an office in Dubai in Q1 2019 to serve as a hub for its work in the region. The company is in the process of recruiting a number of local employees in various marketing, communication and business development roles and already has team members in place to manage industry relations and local editorial content.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, global CEO of Deezer, said: “I’d like to welcome Tarek to Deezer’s management. We’re excited to have him on the leadership team for our regional operations in MENA. His extensive background in entertainment and understanding of local market dynamics and growth drivers will be a great asset for our ongoing expansion.”

Spotify launched in the region in November 2018.

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