Apple devices winning big in the Middle East and North Africa

Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are huge in the Middle East and North Africa, where they account for 55 percent of mobile Internet traffic, according to a new survey by Dubai-based Effective Measure. The iPhone and iPad in particular are doing well, splitting top device honors among the countries covered in the study.

During the month of October, Apple iPhone accounted for 29.6 percent of traffic from mobile devices, with the iPad accounting for 24.1 percent. The iPod touch added another two percent to the total for Apple devices. Apple’s iPhone was the most popular device overall, and the iPad second. RIM’s BlackBerry devices came in third, with 7.6 percent combined.

Broken down by country, Apple’s lead is even stronger in some places. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, 64.5 percent of mobile Internet traffic occurred on Apple devices, with the iPhone accounting for 34.3 percent. In Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, the iPad was the most popular device overall, accounting for 28.7, 24.7 and 18.8 percent of mobile traffic, respectively.

Effective Measure’s measured audience for the Middle East-North Africa region is 43.7 million spread across sixteen countries. For Apple to own such an impressive share of the market in an area where BlackBerry has traditionally been in high demand is an impressive achievement.