Dubai:
Following the likes of Apple and Samsung, Huawei opened its first brand store in the Middle East and Africa at the Dubai Mall in partnership with Axiom Telecom.
Axiom converted its former 1,312 square feet Blackberry store into a Huawei store as the distributor sees demand for the Chinese smartphone manufacturer’s products rising.
“We are not opening the shop to boost the sales but for users to get a first-hand experience of our devices at a more personal level and to communicate with the consumers,” Gene Jiao, president of Huawei Consumer Business Group, Middle East and Africa, told Gulf News after opening the store.
He said Huawei will open more shops in the Middle East and Africa, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“We see Dubai as a city that is strategically located to reach consumers in and around the region,” he said.
When asked why Axiom converted BlackBerry store into Huawei, Rodrigo Campos, senior director of Axiom Telecom, told Gulf News that Huawei has a wider range than BlackBerry.
“Even though Huawei is present in the market for many years, it is now gaining traction in the flagship smartphone segment,” he said.
According to research firm GfK, Huawei has become number two player in the Middle East and Africa region after Samsung as of September.
Jiao said the company, internally, is not looking at the market share at all.
“Our intention is to boost value more than volume. The volume will come automatically if we have the brand value and innovative products,” he said.
Huawei plans to open two more shops in the UAE, one in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Jiao said the company is looking for a bigger space for its next two stores.
“If we can get a bigger space and at the right location, we are ready to open it soon. All new products will now be available for pre-booking and sale at the same time as its global launch,” he said.
In line with Huawei’s global consumer-centric strategy, he said the company’s goal is to provide a better choice and a more comprehensive experience for our regional consumers.