CES opens door to Mideast firms

Dubai: The International CES, the world's largest consumer electronics show held each January in Las Vegas, is all about what's new in the world of consumer electronics.

But for the first time in the show's 41-year run, the show welcomed a large contingent of Middle Eastern businessmen to the show.

"I believe I'm the first Arab to speak at CES - ever," said Sofyan Al Moayed, a Bahraini businessman who was invited to this year's show. "It opens the doors for many more.

It happens to fit with their plans, obviously, to address the Middle East and go International, but if it means they actually will address the Middle East, then why not."

Al Moayed was often critical during the show of how the Western markets ignore the Middle East, which he said is often viewed as just Israel and Dubai. Even then, he said, the target audiences are Westernised populations.

"There is nobody from the US addressing the Arabs in the Arab world, which I think is a major problem," he said.

But Al Moayed wasn't there just to criticise; he was also there to build business relations. "I think I have managed to get a lot of people interested in the Middle East just by being here, just by speaking here," he said.

"That fact that we can speak at international conferences removes a lot of the fear that people have in the West about the stereotypical Arab."

Al Moayed wasn't the only person at the show trying to build business ties with the West. A sizable crowd of Dubai businessmen, including Omar Al Futtaim and Vishesh L. Bhatia of the Al Futtaim Group and Amir Anwar of Dubai Audio Centre, were also present.

"It's an opportunity to come and see what's taking place in the world, what new technologies are there, what the trends are, and to see where our industry is heading," Anwar said.

Bhatia said this was the first year he had attended the show, but last year he had sent a contingent of managers from the Al Futtaim Group's electronics division to scout the show.

Interaction

"I was surprised that a number of suppliers of technology here are already talking to people in Dubai," he said. "They're eager to know more about it.

Another reason for the large Middle East presence in Las Vegas is the upcoming International CES Hometech show in Dubai. The May show, which was just branded as an International CES event last year, is run by MesseFrankfurt. Eckhard Pruy, CEO of Messefrankfurt in the Middle East, said the company is looking for 300 per cent growth over last year.

Both Al Futtaim and the Dubai Audio Centre exhibited at CES Hometech last year. "Last year was just a matter of trying it out," Anwar said.

"We knew Hometech had the backing of CES. For what we exhibit, the kind of people that were coming through, it suits our requirements."

MesseFrankfurt is currently preparing for this year's show and has put together an advisory panel for the show, which includes Microsoft, Samsung, Monster Cable and the Al Futtaim group, Pruy said. One of the main recommendations of the group has been to get Dubai consumers directly involved with the show.

"We've convinced them to, in Dubai, get the end consumer in," Bhatia said. Last year the show did not allow the general public in. "I said it won't work in Dubai. People need to come and see it."

Elizabeth Hyman, vice-president of the Consumer Electronic Association's international division, said there is a general agreement that something along the lines of the Gitex shopper is needed to attract attention to the show. The CEA is the parent company of CES.

"[The advisory board] have been advising MesseFrankfurt that there is a real benefit to having a consumer aspect to the show," she said. "I think that we all agree on something that brings excitement and footsteps and educates consumers to what those cutting edge products are."