Dubai: Saudi-based BDL Group, the largest IT distributor in the kingdom, has opened its fourth office in the Gulf in Dubai with an initial investment of more than $10 million (Dh36.7 million).
"Our main aim is to become a top player in the Middle East and North Africa," Prince Waleed Al Saud, chairman of BDL Group, said.
BDL expects the region's IT distribution market to touch $4.5 billion (Dh16.52 billion) by 2010 from the current $3.1 billion (Dh11.38 billion). "We expect to earn about $500 million [Dh1.83 billion] from Gulf operations this year and about $700 million (Dh2.56 billion) next year. We also expects to earn $100 million (Dh367 million) from the UAE next year," he said.
Activities
BDL Gulf will oversee businesses across the region, excluding Saudi Arabia and much of North Africa excluding Egypt. In addition, the Dubai office will manage sales and distribution across the Levant, Iraq, Pakistan and the CIS countries.
Set up in 1998, BDL has offices in Riyadh, Cairo and Manama and it hopes to open its fifth office in Kuwait this month.
"Next year, the company plans to open offices in Nigeria, Tunisia and Pakistan," said Sunil Nair, general manager of BDL Gulf.
He said the group has five warehousing facilities in the Gulf and it expects to open one more in the Al Quoz area next year.
Al Saud said BDL Gulf has the experience, reputation and human capital necessary to become the region's top IT distributor.
"We expect to dramatically increase our market share."
