CAIRO: Teens and tweens of the Middle East can now join the world's largest online entertainment destination on the internet for girls, Stardoll, and have fun expressing their creativity using fashion, celebrity and dress-up in their native language thanks to the launch of an all new Arabic version of the website by Maktoob, the largest Arabic online community. "Stardoll is thrilled to partner with the highly regarded Maktoob to bring our content to the Middle East, said Mattias Miksche, chief executive officer of Stardoll. "As home to more than 20 million users worldwide, Stardoll prides itself on its global reach. We're happy to connect young fashionistas throughout the Middle East to our global community of girls all over the world who share similar interests. The partnership, which was announced at the Dubai World Game Expo, introduces the Stardoll community to Middle Eastern fashion enthusiasts exclusively on the Maktoob network at stardoll.maktoob.com, which is now available in 13 countries, including: Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Users who join Stardoll's interactive global community can enjoy the full Stardoll experience; they can create customized 'MeDoll' avatars in their own likeness, use Stardollars, the site's virtual currency, shop for virtual fashions in the Starplaza, and purchase virtual décor to furnish their personalized suites, all whilst navigating the site seamlessly in Arabic. Other features of the site include the recently launched Stardoll Magazine, member-created clubs and StarDesign, a virtual fashion design studio. "Maktoob is proud to partner with Stardoll to bring this one-of-a-kind fashion community for girls in Arabic, said Ahmed Nassef, vice president and general manager of Maktoob.com. "Teen and Tween girls already make up a huge segment of our audience, currently mostly focused around our casual gaming channels. By partnering with an international leader like Stardoll, we are bringing a whole new level of fun and interactivity to this online-savvy audience. "In keeping with the unique cultural traditions of the Middle East, the Arabic-language version of Stardoll has been tailored to reflect the values and sensitivities of the region, while ensuring the confidentiality of user identities as per Maktoob standards, Nassef added. Stardoll receives nearly 8 million unique visitors every month from across the globe, 94 percent of which are between the ages of nine to 17. It is one of the few websites catering to the multiple interests of girls within this age bracket. Stardoll began as the hobby of Scandinavian-born Liisa, a retired factory worker in her late 50s with a lifelong aspiration to become a famous fashion designer. She taught herself basic design programs on her computer and shared her fashion creations with a few friends. With the help of her son, she then posted those fashion designs on the Internet for others to see, and soon Stardoll grew into a passionate online community of millions from across the world, learning to share trends and virtually create clothes whilst forming bonds of kinship with young girls of their age.
