MobileActive eyes Middle East phone apps

Australian mobile phone services company MobileActive Ltd is launching a range of mobile applications in the Middle East including a novelty X-ray scanner.

Applications produced for smart phones such as the iPhone and BlackBerry by MobileActive's RingRing Studios division will now be available through Middle East telecommunications companies across the region.

There is currently a huge global demand for mobile phone applications with the market expected to grow dramatically during the next decade, MobileActive said in a statement on Thursday.

"The mobile applications market is in its infancy and should see exponential growth over the next five years," MobileActive managing director Neil Wiles said.

A recent market report by Wireless Expertise said the global mobile application market, including games, would be worth $US4.66 billion ($A5.11 billion) in 2009, rising to $US16.60 billion ($A18.2 billion) in 2013.