Masmoo3 - Arabic Audio Books 2011

Masmoo was the first Arabic application to introduce Arabic audiobooks in 2011, developed by Starting Point (SP-Apps).

Amman - Al-Ghad -

"Masmoo," a pioneering Jordanian company specializing in producing and providing Arabic audiobooks online, launched late last month the first version of its "Masmoo Arabic Audiobook Library" application on the Android platform through the Google Play Store.

Masmoo CEO Alaa Suleiman said in statements to Al-Ghad that, with the launch of the application, it would be available for free download to Android smartphone users worldwide. The application enables users to browse and listen to samples from Masmoo's diverse and carefully selected collection of Arabic audiobooks, as well as purchase and download them directly to their devices.

He explained that the Masmoo Library application included children's books and stories, poetry and literature, Islamic religious books, and personal development and self-improvement books. He noted that the application's initial reviews on Google Play gave it an average rating of 4.7 out of 5. Many users praised the application's quality and importance and expressed their happiness at having such an application available to support Arabic culture through rich content and high-quality performance.

The launch of Masmoo's Android application came at a time when global studies showed that Android continued to hold the largest share of the global smartphone market, accounting for 74.4% of worldwide smartphone sales during the first quarter of that year. Regional studies also indicated that up to 40% of smartphones and tablets used by Arabs operated on Android, a platform adopted by numerous global technology companies.

Masmoo Audiobooks is considered one of Jordan's pioneering technology companies. The company was established several years earlier and benefited from the training and development programs of Oasis500, a Jordanian startup support fund. It was founded by siblings Alaa and Alaa Suleiman around an idea that combined Arabic intellectual content with technology.

The company's objective was to make original Arabic books available as digital audio content, enabling users to listen to books during times when they are unable to read them through traditional methods.

This initiative came at a time when Arabic content on the internet was severely underrepresented. Even the most optimistic studies estimated that Arabic accounted for no more than 3% of total online content, while the number of Arab internet users was estimated at approximately 100 million, out of a total Arab population exceeding 350 million.

Founder and partner Alaa Suleiman had previously told Al-Ghad that he dreamed of transforming the company into the largest digital audiobook library on the internet, covering all Arabic books and publications, both old and new, as well as translated works.

He called on publishers and authors to overcome their "fear of technology," which many still believed had been introduced to replace traditional books and conventional ways of life.

Suleiman argued that the company's concept and products would not replace traditional books, but rather complement them, taking advantage of the widespread adoption of the internet and technology to expand the distribution and accessibility of Arabic content and books.

Amman - Al-Ghad