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.

Local agency O2 Branding looks to KSA as a trend setter in the regional market

Al Riyadh - KSA, June 9, 2010 – Companies across the region flocked to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) this week for the “Saudi Brand and Communications Summit 2010”—held in Riyadh from June 5 – 8, 2010.  Noting the incredible potential in the KSA market for all kinds of communication expansions, Mohammed Johmani, CEO and Founder of O2 Network, spoke at the summit about the key drivers of Saudi branding and marketing sectors. Johmani’s agency O2 Branding served as a main sponsor of the event.    

Research reports suggest that total advertising spending in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will recover at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 10 percent from 2009-2013, with internet advertising expected to grow at nearly 32 percent.  With Saudi Arabia’s GDP being pegged as the highest in the Arab region, those in the branding and communications industry are excited to explore new innovations in the KSA media market.

“The strong foundations of the Saudi economy have encouraged companies to spend on growth during a time where most organizations are looking to cut costs, especially in marketing,” says Johmani.  “O2 Branding has definitely focused more of its energy on the Saudi market in the last few years, and this summit is the ideal platform to view the latest trends while networking with key decision makers in the region.”

O2 Branding is a perfect exemplar of the opportunities afforded to regional entrepreneurs looking to grow communication companies within KSA and the Arab world as a whole.  Part of the multi-discipline O2 Network, the agency assesses all aspects of a company’s “brand potential”, offering strategy design and development, brand-activation counseling, and company-wide workshops for brand management. 

O2 Branding grew out of the understanding that brands are organic in nature; an insight that is reflected in their mission to create ‘Living Brands’. The agency recognizes that brands look, speak, and behave according to their surroundings. In order to ensure an integrated brand culture, O2 Branding draws upon the expertise of the entire O2 Network, including interactive, PR, and advertising agencies, to offer clients integrated communication solutions.

Commenting on the ‘Living Brand’ approach, Johmani said: “To create living brands, we align brand strategies to consumer touch points.  O2 is unique in its communications approach because of its fundamental understanding that people interact with brands and experience them through multiple channels, which translate to the practices of marketing, public relations, and interactive digital media, all of which contribute to shaping certain characteristics of a brand. This approach ensures a comprehensive platform for the creation of an attuned brand culture. ”

Johmani was amongst amongst elite of regional and global figures who are speaking at the summit including Patrick Jephson, Former Private Secretary, HRH Diana, Princess of Wales; Mohamed El Fatatry, CEO, Muxlim, (Voted One of The World’s 500 Most Powerful Muslims); Werner Baumgartner, Managing Director, Swarovski Middle East; Terry Kane, Director Of Digital Strategy, Jumeirah Group; Majdi Al-Sahhaf, Director Marketing And Corporate Communications, Saudi Industrial Property Authority ‘MODON’; Shadi Bakhour, Director Sales And Marketing, Saudi Xerox; Rayan Qutub, Head Of Corporate Business Development And Investment Promotion ,Emaar, The Economic City; Cameron Walker, Director Corporate Communications, National Commercial Bank;  Siva Kumar; Global Head Of Customer Experience, HSBC; Tarik Hamou Hadi, Vice President Sales, Marketing And Innovation, Savola Foods; Mousa Obeid, Head Of Marketing KSA, Nokia;  Yasser Al-Kharobi, Head of Corporate Marketing, Rotana Media Group; Howard Belk, Co-President and CEO, Siegel+Gale.

Major topics of discussion at this year’s summit included connecting with Saudi youth, rules of branding in a post-recession environment, and the unique traits that define the Middle East communications industry within the larger, global scene. 

High profile undertaking part of manufacturer’s aggressive growth strategy in the region

June 02, 2010

Jotun Paints, one of the world’s leading producers and suppliers of paints and coatings, announced that it has secured a massive contract to paint the ‘King Abdullah Financial District’ (KAFD), a state-of-the-art and fully self contained centre for doing business and facilitating investment and enterprise currently under construction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The high profile undertaking, which will involve paint work on the 3 million sq. metre-financial centre, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013, is part of manufacturer’s aggressive growth strategy in the region.

Envisioned as part of the Kingdom’s overall economic diversification program, KAFD is being built by Hill International, with Omrania & Associates and Gensler & Associates acting as the project consultants, and will have a total built-up area of 1.6 million sq. metres. With aims to protect the structure from the elements and natural wear and tear, Jotun recommended its ’Fenomastic’ range for the structure’s interiors and ‘Jotashield’ for the exteriors, with solvent-free ‘Jotafloor’ coatings to be used for the floors.

“The ‘King Abdullah Financial District’ project stands to be one of our biggest achievements in terms of decorative projects we have undertaken in Riyadh till date, and we are very excited to complete this enormous task using our specially-formulated paints and coatings,” said Kjell Gundersen, Managing Director, Jotun Saudia. “Given the important role it will play in further strengthening the Kingdom’s position as the Middle East’s financial capital, we are committed to ensuring that the paint solutions we will deliver will provide maximum protection for this important icon of the Kingdom’s economic dominance.” 

Upon its completion, KAFD will house the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and the Stock Exchange (Tadawul), as well as financial institutions and other service providers such as accountants, auditors, lawyers, analysts, rating agencies, consultants, and IT providers. In addition, the project will also accommodate a financial academy for 5,000 students, offices, hotels, shops, recreational facilities, waterways, squares, parks, sports arenas, restaurants and six mosques including. A monorail system will serve as the main means of transportation within the development, while skywalks bridges will connect all 30 buildings within the financial district.

Al-Falak to enhance customer focus, develop top-notch manpower & expand National pool to maintain market lead

March 28, 2010

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) IT businesses are set to generate revenues of around USD 4 billion in 2010 and retain the country’s status as the largest IT market in the Gulf. The local sector is further expected to maintain a strong growth rate of 10 per cent through 2013.

Al-Falak Electronic Equipment & Supplies Co., a leading provider of technology-based end-to-end solutions in the Middle East, plans to sustain its leadership in the thriving Saudi IT market by expanding its product and service portfolio, reinforcing its position as a system integrator, and focusing on added value for customers. Al-Falak’s planned activities for 2010 include building up its talent pool and maintaining the active participation of KSA Nationals who form over 55 per cent of its workforce.  The company also intends to continue pioneering Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives throughout the Kingdom.

“Our ultimate commitment is to our customers, so our primary goal this year is to significantly enhance the quality, accessibility and diversity of our services. Our customer-focused philosophy has been our main competitive edge so we intend to develop more value-added offerings similar to our e-Catalog online purchasing system and Business Computer Leasing services. While the KSA IT sector is the largest in the region, it is also a highly competitive market, so we need to sustain high levels of creativity, excellence, customer relations, and responsible community engagement if we want to keep our large share in it,” said Ahmed Ashadawi, CEO and President, Al-Falak.

Among the company’s other multidimensional growth and expansion plans for the coming 12 months are the establishment of new strategic partnerships and the delivery of internal competency programs in key areas such as e-commerce. Al-Falak has almost 30 years of experience and expertise working with some of the world’s most recognized information and communications technology companies, including SAS, HP, Oracle, and Microsoft. Its consultancy and customized technology solutions range from systems integration and enterprise resource planning to data networking and electronic commerce

KSA market accounts for 70 per cent of revenue growth while UAE contributes 30 per cent

February 25, 2010

FINE, the market leader in the Middle East’s hygienic paper industry and part of the Nuqul Group, has revealed that its multi-pronged approach of expanding into newer distribution territories and implementation of a more customer-centered strategy has helped reinforce the company’s leadership in the region’s hygienic paper segment. Amidst the current economic downturn, the leading tissue manufacturer successfully recorded an increase in revenue for 2009; with its market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) accounting for 70 per cent of the growth and the UAE market contributing 30 per cent. FINE’s continued growth and expansion into newer areas in the region complement a recent industry report that the Middle East region’s tissue paper segment is expected to post an annual growth of eight per cent between 2009 and 2011.  

According to the company’s latest annual performance report, various levels of growth were experienced by all of FINE’s product categories. However, key products like facial tissues, maxi rolls, toilet rolls and baby diapers recorded higher growth rates over other categories. FINE’s key export markets in 2009 included Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the Indian subcontinent. The company’s positive performance reflects the success of its 2009 strategy of improving its products according to consumer needs and developing a wider distribution network that aimed at penetrating untapped yet high potential areas. FINE also resolved to improve manufacturing efficiencies, which later resulted in a 15 per cent increase in output per unit and a decrease in manufacturing costs per unit of output.

Peter Janho, Chief Area Officer for the Arabian Peninsula and Iran, FINE, said, “The Middle East region has been identified as the largest and fastest growing segment of the global tissue paper industry. The region’s tissue industry growth is widely attributed to a strong presence in niche segments such as boxed facial tissues and kitchen towels. FINE aimed at complementing this strength by looking deeper into these niche markets to find out what consumers want. Our efforts to implement a more customer centric approach combined with the development of a wider distribution network have given us the advantage of reinforcing our leadership in the tissue industry segment. FINE’s 2009 performance reports have also shown that despite the global financial crisis, consumers did not cut back in its consumption of essential items like paper products.”

In 2010 FINE will be adopting a similar multi pronged strategy that includes investing in latest production technologies, further development of its distribution network and enhancing automation of current sales and distribution for both KSA & UAE through the use of individual PDAs by the entire sales force. The company has already announced that it will be allotting 80 per cent of its investment portfolio for the purpose of increasing production output. FINE will also concentrate on product improvements for its line of facial tissues, kitchen towels, toilet rolls and baby diapers. 

“FINE’s positive outlook for 2010 is reflected in the strategy that we have chosen to implement. We are also keen on increasing our market presence as more Far East-based brands are carefully making their way into high potential markets such as the Indian Subcontinent and Eastern Africa. We are confident that consumers will still continue to patronize us as we have already established a brand that is known for its quality and hygiene, and as we are the only company to offer sterilized products. Our prompt attention to customer needs and presence on any store shelf in the region, are also major factors in our success” concluded Janho. 
  
The FINE stable of products includes facial tissues, toilet paper, baby diapers, wet wipes, refreshing towels, adult briefs, jumbo rolls, kitchen towels and sanitary pads. FINE has a manufacturing unit at the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai that is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and employs around 300 highly skilled staff. Currently FINE has an established presence in most of the Middle East countries including Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the UAE, and also in the USA. 

Government supporting enhanced ICT competency & greater socioeconomic contributions of Saudi women

February 8, 2010

The number of women participating in ICDL training programs across the Kingdom rose from 10 per cent in 2006 to 35 per cent by end of 2009 and is expected to grow to around 50 per cent within a few years, according to ICDL Saudi Arabia, the governing body and certification authority of the ICDL program in KSA. This trend complements government efforts to enhance the IT competency of Saudi women, expand their employment opportunities, and increase their overall participation in socioeconomic development.

ICDL Saudi Arabia has been closely coordinating with women-only educational institutions such as Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University, the Kingdom’s first university for girls, on the greater adoption of ICDL training into their academic programs. Other prominent academic institutions such as King Saud University, Taibah University and Al Baha University already have several of their female students enrolled in the ICDL program.

“The appointment of KSA’s first female vice minister last year shows the growing confidence in women’s ability to become productive members of Saudi society. Women have especially strong potential in ICT, which has emerged as one of the Kingdom’s key growth sectors. So far there has been a very positive response among women to ICDL’s various initiatives which will intensify further through government assistance,” said Dr. Sulaiman Al-Dhalaan, Consultant, ICDL Saudi Arabia.
 
ICDL Saudi Arabia has been engaging in various agreements with private organizations and key government departments such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to broaden the reach of the ICDL program. It has also been cooperating with the country’s 32 local universities on the inclusion of ICDL modules in their curricula. Through ICDL Saudi Arabia’s efforts, more women are now using their ICT skills to work from home as freelance writers, translators or designers and collaborate with clients and partners.

The International Exhibition for Higher Education held in Riyadh in late January 2010 highlighted the broader role being played by women in Saudi Arabia’s education sector. The event showed how girl’s access to education has increased while the gender gap in this field has significantly declined throughout the Kingdom. Many of the domestic and international higher education issues addressed by the exhibition focused on female concerns.

The International Computer Driving Licence is the world’s largest vendor-neutral end-user computer skills certification. Its worldwide regional and country branches certify enrollees on fundamental IT skills, use of basic computer applications, and internet use. ICDL is endorsed by education ministries, universities and government organizations in more than 168 countries. Its local arm, ICDL Saudi Arabia, has been imparting essential ICT skills to Saudi women to increase their productivity without compromising their cultural and religious principles.

Sector to generate SAR 239 billion in revenues through 2019

February 6, 2010

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) travel and tourism sector has helped maintain solid national economic growth amidst the protracted global financial crisis. The Saudi tourism market generates around SAR 52 billion in annual revenues, with export earnings from international travelers and tourism services expected to bring in SAR 239 billion towards 2019.

Despite being one of the 22 highest inbound markets in the world, the Kingdom aims at fully developing the potential of its tourism sector. Several trade events are already being lined up to encourage regional and international investors and exhibitors to explore the numerous prospects available within the thriving Saudi travel and tourism market. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), the national authority responsible for the planning and development of domestic tourism, will lead government efforts to promote more inbound travel in 2010 by organizing the 3rd Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market (STTIM).

“As the largest economy in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has the necessary resources to expand travel and tourism as major income generators. There are still numerous development opportunities available in areas such as Al-Wajh, Assir, Al Qassim, and Hail, to name a few. One of the government’s priorities is to increase the regional and global visibility of the Kingdom’s tourism and hospitality offerings. The SCTA’s annual STTIM is an excellent platform to achieve this goal,” said Mohammed Al Hussaini, Deputy General Manager, Riyadh Exhibitions Company.

The KSA’s inbound tourism has increased 11 per cent over the past two years. Travel and tourism combined to contribute 7.2 per cent or around SAR 102 billion of the Kingdom’s GDP last year. The sector’s employment contribution is expected to increase from 590,000 jobs in 2009 or 7.3 per cent of the national workforce to 922,000 jobs or 9.4 per cent of employment by 2019.

To be held under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Governor of Riyadh, the latest edition of STTIM will be held from March 28 to April 1, 2010 / Rabi Al-Tani 12 to 16, 1431 H at the Riyadh International Exhibition Centre. Attendees to Saudi Arabia’s main business-to-business and business-to-consumer travel and tourism event will learn more about the latest local industry trends, best practices and opportunities within the Exhibition Centre’s 15,000 SQM of indoor exhibition space.

ICDL Saudi sheds light on the huge hidden cost of the absence of IT literacy

Dr. Suleiman Al-Dhalaan, Consultant, ICDL Saudi Arabia

ICDL Saudi Arabia, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) programme Read the full story