You may or may have not heard that Yahoo recently acquired Maktoob for an announced sum of money believed to be somewhere north of USD 80 Million.

Now if, however, you live on planet earth, then you’ve already heard the story, discussed it over sheshah, and may have even decided to set up your own internet business. But is it just a load of hype or is there genuine cause for joy over this acquisition?

Well I, for one, am excited. Not sure if I’m in the minority here, but I believe the acquisition of Maktoob by Yahoo really does represent a significant milestone signifying the arrival of the dotcom craze to the Middle East. Fashionably late, but making a fabulous entrance that cannot be ignored. The deal, you see, does feature as one of the top 80 biggest website sales of all time, a list that includes the likes of YouTube, CNET and Skype. It also signifies the arrival of the Arab Online Market as a viable addressable market.

Not to be mistaken, there are some other homegrown success stories that cannot be ignored: I have always been a tremendous fan of Bayt.co