It highlights unique gift ideas from vendors across the Middle East and North Africa and encourages holiday shoppers to choose local sellers DUBAI: Meta has launched #LoveLocal, its annual seasonal shopping campaign, for the third consecutive year. Designed to support small and medium-sized businesses and amplify their voices on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms, the campaign highlights unique gift ideas from vendors across the Middle East and North Africa and encourages holiday shoppers to support local sellers. The holiday season is a crucial time for many smaller businesses, with 25 percent saying they expect to make more than half of their annual sales between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, according to Meta’s most recent Global State of Small Business Report. “By launching #LoveLocal for the third consecutive year, we affirm our commitment to championing small businesses and getting them the attention they deserve,” said Fares Akkad, Meta’s regional director for MENA. This year, Meta has partnered with popular influencers and content creators across the region who will showcase on Facebook and Instagram unique gift ideas from local small businesses. An average of 89 percent of SMBs in MENA markets said Meta apps have helped their business to grow, according to the Ipsos 2022 Small Business Study. Lama Jammal, the owner of cooking school Mamalu Kitchen in the UAE, said Instagram was “the only free marketing platform” she had access to. “Instagram literally made my business,” she added. Teeb Saudi is a design and production company in the Kingdom that supports local artisans and designers by partnering with them to produce corporate and personal gifts. Co-founder Mohammed Baalbaki said the company’s aim is to “bring back meaning to Arabian and Islamic arts.” He added: “Instagram has given us the platform to showcase these incredible art pieces and also increase our revenue.” Akkad said: “Meta is in the business of small business. The majority of the 200 million businesses that use our apps every month to reach customers and grow are SMBs. This latest campaign is a continuation of our efforts to help SMBs unlock economic opportunities.”