Truecaller Ads Strengthens Focus in Middle East and Africa with Appointment of Saraswati Agarwal as Regional Sales Head

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 24, 2025--

Truecaller, the leading global communications platform, has announced the appointment of Saraswati Agarwal as Regional Sales Head for Ad Solutions for the important MEA region. This strategic move underscores Truecaller’s commitment to strengthening its Ad Solutions portfolio, aiming to deliver innovative, seamless digital experiences to its rapidly growing user base. In her new role, Saraswati will play a pivotal part in helping brands differentiate themselves and effectively connect with potential customers through Truecaller’s advanced advertising offerings.

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Saraswati has over 15 years of prior experience in the industry with companies such as Bloomberg, CNN, ITP Media group, driving revenue growth and market expansion across luxury, digital, and media sectors. She has a degree in Electronics and Telecommunications from the University of Mumbai.

“I’m pleased to welcome Saraswati to the Truecaller team,”said Hemant Arora,VP, Global Ad Sales Business, Truecaller. “ Truecaller has become a household name across key African markets like Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya; some of the most noteworthy and strategically important regions within MEA. Our strong market presence, combined with deep user engagement, has fueled the rapid growth of our advertising business. With over 34 strategic partners in the region, Truecaller Ads has built a solid foundation, and we’re now entering an exciting new phase of expansion.

“With Saraswati’s appointment, we’re strengthening our sales footprint across these key markets to offer more tailored, locally-relevant support to our partners and growing advertiser base. She brings a proven track record in digital advertising and deep regional expertise—perfectly aligned with our ambition to deliver innovative digital solutions and the highest level of customer service.”

“I am thrilled to join Truecaller at such an exciting time of growth and innovation,” said Saraswati Agarwal, Regional Sales Head for the Middle East and Africa at Truecaller. “With the launch of our new, high-impact ad formats, we are uniquely positioned to help brands connect more effectively with their audiences. I look forward to working closely with our partners to deliver smart, performance-driven advertising solutions that truly resonate across the region.

“Looking ahead, I am excited to contribute to Truecaller’s mission and broaden our footprint in MEA by unlocking new opportunities and building long-term value for our customers.”

The advertising market in the MEA region is experiencing significant growth, particularly in the digital realm with the Advertising Market projected to reach USD 44,827 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 23.9% from 2024-2032 as per recent reports, fueled by increasing internet and smartphone penetration. Brands are shifting focus to programmatic advertising, mobile video, and influencer marketing to target the region's young, tech-savvy population.

Truecaller Ads solutions offer clients a powerful toolkit of video-first, interactive, and immersive ad formats that integrate seamlessly into the Truecaller app experience. This enables brands to create more engaging, high-recall brand moments during critical points of user attention.

About Truecaller and Truecaller Ads

Truecaller is an essential part of everyday communication for over 450 million active users, with more than a billion downloads since launch and close to 56 billion unwanted calls identified and blocked in 2024 alone. The company has been headquartered in Stockholm since 2009 and has been publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since October 2021. Advertising is the primary revenue stream for Truecaller. Truecaller Ads serves 5 billion impressions every day and is trusted by over 10,000 brands. Visit https://advertisers.truecaller.com for more information.

Saraswati Agarwal joins Truecaller as Regional Sales Head, Middle East and Africa

BEIJING (AP) — Breaking with the United States, Canada has agreed to cut its 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday.

Carney made the announcement after two days of meetings with Chinese leaders. He said there would be an initial cap of 49,000 vehicles on Chinese EV exports to Canada, growing to 70,000 over five years. China will reduce its tariff on canola seeds, a major Canadian export, from about 84% to about 15%, he told reporters.

“It has been a historic and productive two days,” Carney said, speaking outside against the backdrop of a traditional pavilion and a frozen pond at a Beijing park. “We have to understand the differences between Canada and other countries, and focus our efforts to work together where we’re aligned.”

Earlier Friday, he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged to improve relations between their two nations after years of acrimony.

Xi told Carney in a meeting at the Great Hall of the People that he is willing to continue working to improve ties, noting that talks have been underway on restoring and restarting cooperation since the two held an initial meeting in October on the sidelines of a regional economic conference in South Korea.

“It can be said that our meeting last year opened a new chapter in turning China–Canada relations toward improvement,” China's top leader said.

Carney, the first Canadian prime minister to visit China in eight years, said better relations would help improve a global governance system that he described as “under great strain.”

He called for a new relationship “adapted to new global realities” and cooperation in agriculture, energy and finance.

Those new realities reflect in large part the so-called America-first approach of U.S. President Donald Trump. The tariffs he has imposed have hit both the Canadian and Chinese economies. Carney, who has met with several leading Chinese companies in Beijing, said ahead of his trip that his government is focused on building an economy less reliant on the U.S. at what he called “a time of global trade disruption.”

A Canadian business owner in China called Carney's visit game-changing, saying it re-establishes dialogue, respect and a framework between the two nations.

“These three things we didn’t have,” said Jacob Cooke, the CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies, which helps exporters navigate the Chinese market. “The parties were not talking for years.”

Canada had followed the U.S. in putting tariffs of 100% on EVs from China and 25% on steel and aluminum under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Carney’s predecessor.

China responded by imposing duties of 100% on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% on pork and seafood. It added a 75.8% tariff on canola seeds last August. Collectively, the import taxes effectively closed the Chinese market to Canadian canola, an industry group has said. Overall, China's imports from Canada fell 10.4% last year to $41.7 billion, according to Chinese trade data.

China is hoping Trump’s pressure tactics on allies such as Canada will drive them to pursue a foreign policy that is less aligned with the United States. The U.S. president has suggested Canada could become America's 51st state.

Carney departs China on Saturday and visits Qatar on Sunday before attending the annual gathering of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland next week. He will meet business leaders and investors in Qatar to promote trade and investment, his office said.

Associated Press business writer Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, center, arrives to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, Pool)

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)