Dubai: Dyson, the UK firm best known for its domestic vacuum cleaners, has high hopes for a new hand dryer it is introducing into the Middle East.
The UAE is the second market after the UK where the company is introducing the Airblade Hand Dryer. It is eyeing demand from local hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, municipal buildings and hospitals.
Dyson officials say the product creates a high speed sheet of air which dries hands in 10 seconds. They claim the product also removes bacteria and mould from the air using a filtration system.
"Until now hand dryers have been dirty, inefficient, frustrating. We've solved these problems and produced the fastest and most hygienic hand dryer," said Tracey Scully, international business development manager, Dyson.
In the UK the Airblade is in use at Gatwick airport, museums, hotels and restaurants throughout the country.
Dyson was founded by British engineer James Dyson in 1983. Its principle product was a series of vacuum cleaners which used cyclone technology and did not require bags. The company's global turnover was £470 million for 2005. It will announce its 2006 results this summer.
Expansion plan
According to Scully, Dyson is eyeing expansion in the GCC, The company has so far built its business on domestic vacuum cleaners. "The GCC is a very important region for us and we looking to expand further. There is obvious potential in a market like the UAE due to the rapid growth of the hotel industry and a need for new and the best technology."
Major player in vacuum cleaners
- Total number of Dyson vacuum cleaners sold worldwide since 1993 is more than 20 million (2006).
- 10 million of these were sold in the last three years.
- Two thirds of sales are now outside of our home market, the UK.
- Overall growth in export sales of 44 per cent (2005).
