December 17, 2011 – al-Riyadh - Samsung Electronics, the leading global company in multimedia and technology, signed a partnership agreement with ShasTech naming the later an authorized reseller for its products in KSA, in line with its expansion strategy in the region, after the huge success of its tablets, mobiles and other devices.

In an official ceremony, the agreement was signed by, Mohamed Ali ,ShasTech CEO, and Mr. JaeCheon Park,  Samsung Vice President .

Upon signing the agreement, Eng. Mohamed Ali, ShasTech CEO stated, “we are proud of our agreement with Samsung, one of the leading international companies in electronics, notably as it has been able recently to sell more than 5 million smart devices.”

“This important step is an extension of ShasTech’s accomplishments as an authorized reseller for many major international brands. The credit should be given to our outstandingly talented sales team backed by our distribution fleet, and our expansion programs that would insure comprehensive distribution for Samsung products throughout the kingdom.” he added.

“In a time when ShasTech is developing their official distribution domain, the company is constantly increasing their presence within the Kingdom, which allows it to offer services and solutions for the business sector and the consumer markets in the region,” confirmed ShasTech CEO, Eng. Mohamed Ali.

“We are working according to an ambitious expansion programs that support our product’s deployment within Saudi Arabia, which is considered one of the biggest markets for us in the region not only now but also the near future,” said Mr. JungHeum Shin, Samsung Business unit manager.

“As part of our agreement with ShasTech, we will offer our new products in iSTORE which is committed to the entire criterion we require of an outlet, and considered one of the best showrooms in the country. Our partnership with ShasTech is a strategic gateway for us to benefit from all the local opportunities, especially with the increasing prosperity the country is witnessing now,” added Mr. JungHeum Shin, Samsung Business unit manager.

In addition to Samsung, ShasTech provides Apple, Griffin (exclusively in the Middle East), and Belkin (exclusively within KSA).

Since its inception in 1995, ShasTech has recorded an increasing growth and popularity via its iSTORE and iCARE outlets. ShasTech has concentrated on delivering added-value and always ethnically committed to their customers.

Within its endeavors to offer the best services for its clients, ShasTech relies on a comprehensive understanding of the demographics and technological advancements within the world, to always achieve customer satisfaction and realize what they anticipate.

Saudi Printing, Packaging Sign & Graphics 2011 to showcase opportunities behind sector’s projected 4.58 per cent annual growth through 2015

August 10, 2011

Kamil Al Jawhari

Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the GCC, is also the region’s leading packaging market. The Kingdom has a firm 70 per cent hold on the Gulf’s USD 2 billion packaging industry, with its local sector expected to further expand at an average rate of 4.58 per cent from 2011 to 2015. A thriving food manufacturing industry, sustained industrialization and urbanization and a huge petrochemical sector rank among the top growth drivers for the Saudi packaging business.

In the World Bank’s Doing Business 2011 report, the KSA ranks 11th out of 183 global economies in ‘Ease of Doing Business’  to lead the Middle East. The country’s business-friendly environment has spurred strong demand for printing, packaging, signage and graphics over the past few years. A resilient advertising base is another growth factor, with ad spending in the Kingdom increasing 8 per cent to USD 643 million for H1 2011 . The KSA and the UAE are the only two countries in the Arab world that have not dropped their advertising expenditures for the period.

Saudi Pack/Print/Sign and Graphic 2011 (Saudi PPSG 2011), the 10th International Packaging, Printing, Sign and Graphics Technology Exhibition to be held from November 18 to December 1, 2011 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, will introduce local, regional and international visitors to the Kingdom’s limitless business opportunities. The bi-annual business event is the largest and longest-running of its kind in the region and will gather exhibitors and guests from across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

“All the necessary elements are in place to sustain Saudi Arabia’s position as one of the Middle East’s top markets for signage, outdoor media, and screen and digital printing. Saudi PPSG 2011 is an important platform for learning the unique business mechanics, regulations, technologies and trends affecting the Kingdom’s PPSG businesses. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with industry leaders, view the latest products and services, and gain a better understanding of real growth opportunities available at both the domestic and regional level,” said Kamil Al Jawhari, Project Manager of Saudi PPSG at Riyadh Exhibitions Company.

Over 462 exhibitors from 30 countries participated in Saudi PPSG 2009. The latest edition will welcome representatives from Austria, Italy, Germany, China, Korea, Taiwan, the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, India, Pakistan and East Africa, among others. Equipment to be put on display include commercial printers, package printing converters, paper production equipment, paper equipment materials and special printing applications. The show will be an ideal business-to-business platform for participants to strengthen business ties and forge new ones.

Saudi PPSG – the 10th International Packaging, Printing, Sign and Graphics Technologies Exhibition – will be held concurrently with Saudi Plastics & Petrochem 2011- the 10th International Plastics and Petrochem trade fair. More details are available at http://www.saudisigngraphics.com/.

Thousands of trade visitors, exhibitors to attend Saudi Build 2011 and Saudi Stone-Tech 2011 in Riyadh

July 19, 2011

Shahid Bhatti

Saudi Arabia’s housing sector remains a major long-term growth catalyst for the country’s construction industry as studies reveal that over SAR 300 billion worth of pledged housing projects are now in the pipeline. Aggressive residential development projects are being initiated all over the country to address the growing housing requirements of the country, subsequently creating windows of opportunity for key players in the construction industry.

Saudi Build 2011, the leading construction trade event in the Middle East, will serve as a key business-to-business networking platform that will cater to the needs of regional and international exhibitors as well as trade buyers in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Build 2011 – The 23rd the International Construction Technology and Building Materials Exhibition, will run from October 16 to 19, 2011, at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre and will be held concurrently with Saudi Stone-Tech – The 14th International Stone and Stone Technology Show.

Shahid Bhatti, Project Manager of Saudi Build at Riyadh Exhibitions Company, said: “Saudi Arabia is increasingly grabbing the attention of global suppliers and technology vendors because of the sheer size of the Kingdom’s construction market. A large number of international companies are now exploring expansion opportunities in KSA, especially at a time when other markets continue to underperform. Saudi Build and Saudi Stone-Tech will therefore serve as an ideal platform for international suppliers to network with trade buyers and decision makers from the Saudi government. For years Saudi Build and Saudi Stone-Tech have gathered the largest collection of property developers, local and international builders, building merchants and high-profile investors, making it the definitive marketing venue for all stakeholders in the Saudi construction sector.”

Saudi Build 2011 expects thousands of industry-related visitors, including high-profile business leaders from the Kingdom and around the world, diplomats and high-ranking Saudi Government officials. The event will also gather hundreds of exhibiting companies from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, collectively offering a comprehensive collection of the latest construction products and services.

Saudi Stone-Tech caters to evolving requirements and changing trends in stone technology products, machinery and services. Supported by VeronaFiere (Verona Trade Fair Company), Italy’s top trade show organizer, and the Italian MARMOMACCHINE Association, a technical and promotional organization for Italy’s stone and allied industries, Saudi Stone-Tech will feature designers and landscapers who will showcase cutting-edge stone products, including marble, granite, travertine and stone derivatives, as well as cutting, polishing and manufacturing machinery.

Dr. Al Awar gives presentation on ‘e-Universities and Quality’ highlighting key challenges and effective strategies for enhancing e-Learning in Arab World

March 21, 2011

Dr. Mansoor Al Awar

Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU), has attended “The Second International Conference on e-Learning and Distance Education” held recently in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the theme “Unique Learning For Next Generation: The Development of e-Learning in the Pursuit of Authentic Goals of a Knowledge-Based Society”. The Conference was held under the patronage of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and was organised by the KSA Ministry of Higher Education. HBMeU’s participation in the event reflects its academic, strategic vision to take e-learning to the next level and to encourage innovation and creativity based on the highest standards of quality, which will ultimately help create easy access to information, enhance the quality of education, and drive academic performance.

During the Conference, several scientific viewpoints and international experiments were introduced, while participants also discussed the latest technologies, researches, and scientific studies related to e-learning and distance education, and highlighted the practical benefits of the e-learning environment. The event also focused on effective tools that boost the culture of e-learning and distance education in the society and their role in developing education and guaranteeing its quality. On the sidelines of the Conference, Dr. Al Awar gave a presentation on the subject of “e-Universities and Quality”, which tackled a number of key issues, particularly those that concern quality, the concepts of e-University, the main differences between traditional education and e-learning, and the objectives of e-learning. He also discussed the importance of making e-learning available for all social segments, from students and employees to persons with special needs.

Dr. Al Awar also focused on the current status of education in the Arab World and underlined the need to increase efforts to reinforce the culture of e-learning and distance education and ultimately offer greater education opportunities to all. Citing statistics from UNESCO in 2009, he indicated that beneficiaries of higher education in the 18 to 23 age group account for up to 15 per cent of the population, while a World Bank report indicates that gross expenditure on education in Arab countries does not exceed 1.3 per cent of the GDP. Al Awar also noted that most educational institutions in the Arab World still follow traditional teaching methods and continue to face a number of challenges such as lack of strategic planning and active communication channels with business markets, existence of a major cognitive gap, and the lack of ability to keep up with globalization and the restricted adoption of IT in the teaching processes.

In addition, his presentation pointed out the key challenges facing e-learning in the region, including the novelty of this concept, non-recognition of the certificates issued by e-learning institutions in many Arab countries, and the dominance of a more traditional mindset within regional academic recognition institutions. To overcome such challenges, Dr. Al Awar said there is a need to conduct continuous dialogue with national institutions of academic recognition in order for them to be able to better appreciate the concept of e-learning and its many objectives, which include spreading knowledge and education; launching awareness campaigns that reinforce the culture of e-learning and distance education and highlight their role in supporting economic development in the Arab world; and boosting coordination between regional educational institutions by exchanging expertise in academic, technological and administrative areas. In addition, to effectively face such challenges, he said it is necessary to develop a strategy based on a strong commitment to implement the highest standards of quality when offering e-learning and distance education programs.

Commenting on his participation, Dr. Al Awar said, “Currently, e-learning serves as an important contributor in the comprehensive development and social transformation towards a knowledge-based economy in the Arab World. Recently we have been witnessing a growing adoption of this concept as countries keep up with the changes and developments in the field of information technology. This has helped raise the quality of research and development initiatives and enhanced teaching methodologies, enabling educational programs to be developed in accordance with the emerging needs of the society. This Conference was thus crucial as it provided an excellent platform to highlight the importance of quality in reinforcing the competitiveness and enhancing the offerings of e-learning and distance education in the Arab World.”

Al Awar added, “We are pleased to have participated in this event, which has given us the chance to exchange scientific know-how and ideas with experts and specialists from across the region, while giving us insights into the future of e-learning and distance education in a knowledge-based society. We are certainly looking forward to more cooperation with all concerned organizations operating throughout the Arab World and GCC countries, with a special focus on enhancing the quality of e-learning and distance education. Such collaborative efforts are particularly important as we are witnessing increased government expenditure on e-learning, reaching a value of around USD 240 million by the end of 2009 in the GCC countries, with KSA and the UAE accounting for up to 80 per cent of this amount. We take this opportunity to reaffirm our full commitment to reinforcing our stature as a main hub for excellence and leadership in the scientific and academic fields and for spreading the concept of e-learning across different countries beyond the UAE, in line with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, who has underlined the importance of this concept as a key factor in the continuing thrust to be part of the global race for excellence.”

HBMeU is the first e-learning institute in the Arab World that was established with the vision to develop a new learning process through the implementation of learning practices characterised by flexibility, quality and diversity to strengthen self-leadership among learners and prepare them socially and academically for a future career through integration in the job market. HBMeU’s philosophy is based on vital methods that have been developed through extensive research and development by specialists from all over the world. These methods include offering high quality programs, supporting the pursuit of lifelong learning, promoting the freedom of information, reinforcing the culture of excellence and innovation and providing education for everyone in line with the highest standards of comprehensiveness and credibility. The university seeks to constantly identify knowledge needs, support research and development programs and create an outstanding environment for e-learning

Al Attiyat: “TNT Express records 24% growth in shipments in 2010”

Nael Attiyat

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudia, 5 March 2011. Strong and steady growth in Saudi Arabia’s transportation sector and infrastructure investments have led to a significant increase in volumes of inbound and outbound commodities. The Kingdom saw the volume of its airborne inbound commodities touch 289,000 tons whereas the volume of airborne outbound commodities reached 179,000 tons. The growth clearly benefited the corporate sector as well which has been showing impressive results.

Nael Al Attiyat, Sales and Marketing Director, TNT SAB Express Saudi Arabia commented, “The encouraging growth in the transportation sector, witnessed through rise in airborne traffic, is indicative of the strong overall economic development in KSA. This sector not only provides critical services to other production and services sectors; it generates immense investment and employment opportunities.”  In relation to how this has had a positive effect at TNT SAB Express which is committed to provide world class services to its customers Al Attiyat went on to say, “We have seen growth of 24% in our inbound and outbound shipments, and also saw progressive growth of revenue reached to 22%, in 2010.

KSA also witnessed progressive growth in the number of passengers traveling through its international airports, which touched 29 million last year.

The strong performance of Saudi Arabia’s air, land, and marine transportation sectors has been attributed to the efforts of the government and the leadership of HRH King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Al Attiyat concluded, “We are confident that the transportation sector will continue to show impressive growth and this will be further fuelled by the execution of approved plans. Major investments initiated in the past few years and additional infrastructural investments in KSA will yield massive economic benefits to the Kingdom in the future as well.”

The delegation also visits the Juffali help centre for mentally disabled to reinforce the company’s strong commitment for civic-oriented  initiatives in the region

Feb 28, 2011

Bosch announced that senior management officials from Germany led by Peter Tyroller, Member of the Board of Management who also oversees Marketing and Sales, Original Equipment Sales and the Automotive Aftermarket division, recently met and interacted with dealers and customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the UAE and Qatar as part of an ongoing program to understand the key market challenges in the region. The Bosch senior officials discussed business opportunities, business performance and strategies to boost customer relations during their recent visit.

Joining Mr. Tyroller in the trip were Robert Hanser, President of Automotive Aftermarket; Guercan Karakas, Senior Vice President for Sales to the Independent Aftermarket; and Guido Gring, Sales Director for Middle East & Africa – Automotive Aftermarket.

The delegation first visited various workshops and retailers in Jeddah, KSA, where they were hosted by Bosch dealer Juffali Auto Parts Co. The visitors also stopped by the Juffali help centre for mentally disabled people to reinforce the company’s strong commitment to support civic-oriented initiatives in the region. The group proceeded to visit the Bosch regional office and training center in Dubai before heading to Abu Dhabi to meet with their counterparts from Al Fahim Group, Bosch’s partner in the UAE. The senior officials concluded their trip to the GCG with a meeting with local representative Nasser bin Khalid & Sons Co. in Qatar.

Robert Hanser said: “The recent trip to the GCC was an excellent opportunity for us to personally see and assess the market situation and to interact and be closer with our dealers and customers. We are pleased with the enthusiasm of our business partners in the region, particularly in KSA, the UAE and Qatar. Bosch has successfully built a strong market base and robust relationship with key market players, so we believe that it is important to conduct regular interaction to further boost our market presence and enhance strategic relations.”

Guido Gring concluded: “The Middle East remains a key growth destination for Bosch with the KSA, UAE and Qatari markets acting as key growth catalysts. The recent visit to these countries was very informative and productive as it helped reinforce the confidence and trust of our dealers and customers on the Bosch brand. We will definitely continue to organize similar activities in key markets, which will enable us to develop a wider range of tailor-made solutions for our customers in the region.”

Meeting in line with efforts to promote joint cooperation with Turkey

October 3, 2010

The CEO of Elaf Group, Ziyad Ahmed Bin Mahfouz recently met a high profile Turkish delegation headed by Nihat Ergun, Minister of Industry and Trade. The delegation’s agenda included a meeting with the Elaf Travel and Tourism Group to discuss the joint cooperation and explore the facilities available to Turkish tourists visiting Saudi Arabia for various purposes including Umrah and Hajj. 

Commenting on the visit by the Turkish delegation, Bin Mahfouz said: “We believe this meeting with the Turkish Minister for Industry and Trade will go a long way in further boosting bilateral relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey represents a key market for the Kingdom and for the Elaf Group in particular especially since numerous pilgrims from Turkey come to KSA for Umrah and Hajj. In addition, Turkey is one of the preferred holiday destinations for Saudi families.”  

Bin Mafhouz also escorted the visiting delegation on a tour across the Elaf Hotel at the Red Sea and the Red Sea Mall. The delegation expressed their admiration on the idea of operating a hotel within a commercial shopping centre that attracts families and businessmen. 

Influx of next generation home, professional and car infotainment technologies rapidly transforming KSA’s consumer electronics industry

August 30, 2010

Harman Middle East, a market leader in home, professional and car infotainment in the Middle East, is aiming to leverage the stable demand for audio technology products and home theatre systems in Saudi Arabia, amidst positive growth forecast by BMI that projects the Kingdom’s consumer electronics market to hit SR 14 billion in 2010. As the influx of next generation home, professional and car infotainment technologies rapidly transforms the Kingdom’s consumer electronics industry, the company has underlined its commitment to meeting the demand for the local market and its focus on establishing itself as a leading name in the thriving market.

Offering leading brands such as Harman Kardon and JBL, two market leaders in audio equipment for consumers, the entertainment industry and the automotive industry, Harman ME offers Saudi customers the highest quality audio/video receivers and sound systems through its two ‘harman house’ showrooms located in Tahliya Street and the Red Sea Mall, both within Jeddah. It delivers complete home cinema systems with the high-performance A/V receiver and DVD player combined in a single component controlled by a single remote control, and perfectly matched with complete speaker packages. In addition, ‘harman house’ also retails the luxurious ‘GLA-55’ system, Harman Kardon’s computer speaker, which can be used with computers, iPods or virtually any audio device with a 3.5mm; and its ‘Go + Play’ loudspeaker dock.

“With Saudi Arabia’s consumer electronics market demonstrating strong growth and as local customers continue to embrace new innovations in home and personal audio computer systems, we have outlined a strategic plan to further entrench our presence in the Kingdom,” said Amit Malani, President, Harman Middle East. “In addition to the fast-paced development of new technologies, the growing competition among manufacturers and resellers is also transforming the consumer electronics industry, thereby leading to the presence of more advanced and innovative lifestyle products. In line with this, our goal is to let Saudi-based customers enjoy the ultimate consumer and professional sound equipment.”

Harman ME addresses the diverse needs of a wide range of customers - from students to music enthusiasts as well as recording industry professionals through its innovative JBL speakers and multiroom systems. Incorporating professional-grade technologies, materials and engineering to achieve an unequalled level of sonic accuracy, high-end JBL home loudspeakers include floor speakers, bookshelf speakers, center channels, subwoofers, in wall/ceiling speakers, outdoor speakers as well as speaker packages. The company also carries personal audio products such as headphones, computer speakers and speaker docks; in addition to world-class car audio equipment including amplifiers, sound enhancers, subwoofers and speakers.

“The high quality brands we are bringing to the Saudi market allow local customers to remain up to speed on the latest audio and home theatre technologies being unveiled across the globe. During this Ramadan, we are anticipating increased demand for our products whose exceptionally high quality have been identified by customers to be in line with their requirements, and we remain positive of exceeding their expectations moving forward,” concluded Malani.

Harman brands are known to power over 70 per cent of the world’s recording studios, more than 75 per cent of cinemas worldwide built in the last 20 years, and some of the world largest and most iconic sports stadiums, including the Yankee Stadium in New York City, the O2 Arenas in Berlin and London, Wembley Stadium,  Lucas Oil Stadium, FedEx Arena, Stade de Suisse, Carl Benz Arena and no fewer than 12 venues from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, such as the Nanjing (Bird’s Nest) Stadium. Harman professional equipment was also used during the recently concluded FIFA World Cup. In addition, Harman also offers car audio and navigation, which are incorporated in premium cars such as BMW, Land Rover, Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, Lexus and Mini Cooper as well as on ‘The Oasis of the Seas’, the world’s largest cruise ship.

Commercial vehicle segment to serve as one of the industry’s key growth catalysts

July 12, 2010

Kamil Al Jawhari

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) automotive sector is poised to sustain a positive growth outlook over a five-year period with sales value expected to reach over SAR 80.6 billion by 2014, according to a recent report by BMI. The robust growth forecast is underpinned by the positive performance of the commercial vehicle segment, which is expected to remain strong over the next five years.

Riyadh Motor Show 2010 – The 28th International Exhibition for Motor Vehicles, and Saudi Autoshop 2010 – The 14th International Exhibition for Auto Repair Equipment, Tools, Parts and Accessories, will feature an expanded showcase of the latest automotive products and services as part of a strategy to complement the positive growth trend by providing a gateway for leading local and international brands to strengthen their foothold in the Saudi automotive market. Thousands of visitors from all over the world are expected to participate in the Riyadh Motor Show and Saudi Autoshop, which will be concurrently held from December 5 to 9, 2010 (29 Dhu al Hijjah 1431 till 3 Muharram 1432) at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Kamil Al Jawhari, Project Manager of Riyadh Motor Show at Riyadh Exhibitions Company, said: “The robust growth forecast underlines the resiliency, the strength and the sound fundamentals of Saudi Arabia’s automotive market, creating a genuinely attractive business environment for local, regional and international investors and key industry players. Riyadh Motor Show and Saudi Autoshop will help usher in new investors and businesses and enable them to take advantage of the excellent long-term growth prospects in Saudi Arabia.”

“There are several new exhibitors participating this year, while thousands of visitors will be converging for the back-to-back events, providing the perfect opportunity to explore business opportunities and expand into new markets. Moreover, in line with the growing demand for commercial vehicles, we have created dedicated sections that provide an extensive range of products and services for this segment during the Riyadh Motor Show,” added Al Jawhari.

Riyadh Motor Show 2010 will showcase the latest models of passenger cars, station wagons, Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV), pick-up trucks, motorcycles, Special Purpose Vehicles, and 4×4 vehicles. It will also include automobile financing and insurance services.

Saudi Autoshop 2010 will feature the latest automobile accessories and repair service equipment; gas station equipment; automobile parts; tires, exhausts and batteries; and automobile care products.

Announcement of latest partner program coincides with unveiling of new networking, security and storage solutions

July 05, 2010

NETGEAR, a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking and storage products has launched the initial phase of a new channel initiative in KSA. The announcement of the latest partner program coincided with the unveiling of the company’s new networking, security and storage solutions, which include the ‘ReadyNAS 4200’, a network storage system with 10Gb Ethernet and iSCSI support for small and medium businesses (SMBs), Quad WAN Gigabit SSL VPN Firewall, unmanaged switches, L2 Gigabit POE Switches, and new wireless controller supporting up to 150-APs.

Focused on meeting its partners’ needs to better address KSA-based customers’ networking, storage and security requirements, the new channel initiative will be undertaken by a new dedicated team tasked to deliver various tools, services, rewards and discounts to partners who will join the program. These include sales engineer support, leads from the customer support center, sales incentive, priority in technical support, government and education discount pricing, partner portal and marketing tools, rebate upon achievement of set quarter target, and special price for NETGEAR equipment. In addition, the company is also set to host a seminar for system integrators and resellers in the Kingdom, with aims to update them on the new developments in the KSA market and recruit new local partners.

“Our partnership with systems integrators and resellers continues to play a pivotal role in our goal to help SMBs maximise the latest advancements in information technology to boost their productivity, efficiency and security, and this is why we invest significantly towards ensuring that our partners are fully equipped to address the customers’ requirements,” said Khaled Alosman, Technical Manager, NETGEAR Middle East. “On the other hand, our focus towards the Saudi market is driven by the Kingdom’s sizeable investment in IT and constant leading position in the Gulf’s technology race, and we are confident that the new channel initiative as well as the new products we have just unveiled in the country will be in high demand among SMBs in this opportunity-laden market.”

One of the most highly anticipated among NETGEAR’s new releases, ‘ReadyNAS 4200’ is capable of serving both NAS and SAN traffic with 10Gb Ethernet, and has a unified architecture that can be the centre of file sharing and at the same time be the redundant storage for virtualisation environment like Microsoft Hyper-V™, VMware® or Citrix XenServer™. In addition, the manufacturer’s unmanaged switches provide a cost-effective way to instantaneously increase network performance while preserving most of your network investment, including installed cabling and end users’ software and hardware. As a testament to the effectiveness of its solutions within the consumer and SMB segment, NETGEAR has recently been awarded at the ‘Choice of Channel (COC) Awards’ as the ‘Emerging Vendor of the Year’.

“In addition to our wide range of partner-focused initiatives, the sheer strength of our portfolio has helped many of our partners become trusted advisors to local customers who are looking for reliable networking, security and storage products. As the Kingdom continues it growth as the largest IT market in the Gulf, we will continue to develop strategies and undertake similar initiatives to leverage the market and help Saudi customers reap the benefits of our technologically-advanced IT offerings,” concluded Alosman.