SanDisk, a global vendor in flash memory cards, has reported double-and triple-digit market growth in the Middle East and Africa so far this year
SanDisk, a global vendor in flash memory cards, has reported double-and triple-digit market growth in the Middle East and Africa so far this year, driven by the region’s high mobile phone penetration rates and requirement for flash-based storage devices
“Based on global market research, our most popular product segments are flash memories for smart-phones, tablets and solid-state drives for PCs,” said Tareq Husseini, SanDisk’s Regional Sales Director, Middle East and Africa.
In South Africa and East Africa, first-quarter sales for 2011 have exceeded the entire year’s sales for 2010, with South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria leading the region. The UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the GCC have shown double and triple-digit year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2011.
SanDisk has entered into strategic partnerships with major distributors in the region like Ahmed AbdulWahed Trading and Jarir Bookstore in Saudi Arabia, National Stores and Redington Gulf in the UAE, Salam Studios in Qatar and International Agencies in Bahrain. In South Africa and East Africa, SanDisk’s retail presence is bolstered by alliances with distributors MiDCOM and Tudortech.
Penetration of smart-phones in the UAE and in Saudi Arabia is 11 percent and 15 percent respectively, lagging behind the US where smart-phone penetration is currently at 50 percent. However, smart-phone penetration in the UAE is expected to increase 11 percent per year for the next three years.
