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Tech entrepreneur in UAE's digital market

Dubai - Mannix Pabalan is a digital marketing pioneer who founded AyosDito.PH in 2008 is now the CEO of Hashtag Digital

Digital commerce is one of fastest rising industries in the world, particularly in the Middle East. A Filipino tech-entrepreneur has joined the race and has established a digital marketing company in the UAE.
Mannix Pabalan, CEO of Hashtag Digital FZ LLC, says: "There is an unprecedented growth of digital marketing in the region, but there are only few professionals who can claim expertise in the wide spectrum of digital commerce.
"After our success in the Philippines, we decided to penetrate the GCC market in 2014 and put up our branch of Hashtag Digital," he adds.
Pabalan is a digital marketing pioneer. He founded AyosDito.PH in 2008 and headed the online and digital marketing of Rocket Internet's Lazada in 2012. A year later, he established another tech company, Hashtag Digital.
In the UAE, Hashtag has developed a diverse client portfolio from developing partnerships with other agencies, and directly servicing accounts such as Step2 Arabia, Hawthorn Suites, Morgan Taylor Gellish, Ramada Downtown Dubai, Emirates Grand Hotel, Oceanic Khorfakkan, and Dubai Government Forum to name a few.
In May 2015, Mumbrella Awards Asia recognised Hashtag Digital as one of four emerging digital agencies of the year in South East Asia.
"Hashtag Digital offers a unique selling proposition of performance digital marketing," Pabalan tells Khaleej Times. "We partner with our clients to deliver our clients' KPI (key performance index), whether it's lead generation, name (email) aggregation, social reach and sales. Simply put, we collaborate with our clients in dealing with the internet and digital presence and make sure it is aligned with thrust of its brand.
Pabalan also has another objective why he put up his company in the UAE. "I have seen so many Filipinos in the UAE, but only a few of us own businesses. The thought of exporting a Filipino company, and not just sending talent abroad, challenged me," he says.
"With this in mind, I thought of championing the cause and inspiring OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) to become entrepreneurs too," he underlines.
angel@khaleejtimes.com