Business | Technology
Middle East LCD market grows 9.1%
The Middle East's LCD monitor market grew 9.1 per cent to 2.93 million units in 2006, up from 2.69 million units, according to research by Context/Bryan Norris Associates (BNA).
- By Naushad K. Cherrayil, Staff Reporter
- Published: 13:31 October 29, 2008
Dubai: The Middle East's LCD monitor market grew 9.1 per cent to 2.93 million units in 2006, up from 2.69 million units, according to research by Context/Bryan Norris Associates (BNA).
The European monitor research firm says BenQ grew the fastest and now has a 73.2 per cent market share followed by ViewSonic with 28.6 per cent and Dell with 22.8 per cent.
This year, total LCD shipments into the region will be 40 per cent greater than in 2006.
The Middle East market is expected to be almost completely dominated by LCD units by 2010. Context/BNA forecast the Middle East market will be 6.1 million units by 2010, 98 per cent of which will be LCD and two per cent will be cathode ray tube (CRT).
Currently BNA expects the market to sell 4.7 million units in 2007, of which 66 per cent will be LCD and 34 per cent will be CRT.
"The penetration rate for LCD market in the region is about 70-75 per cent," says Aaron Fright, regional Manager, ViewSonic Middle East and Africa. He says one of the main drivers for growth is the shift to widescreen monitors.
Widescreen panel supply is predicted to go from 11.4 per cent of all LCD panel shipments in 2006 to 33.3 per cent of all shipments in 2007, according to DisplaySearch, research and consultancy firm.
"The biggest factor is the growing importance with the introduction of Vista, games, movies, IPTV, and video clips," says Rhoda Alexander, director of monitor research at iSuppli Corp.
To capitalise on this growth, ViewSonic will be launching monitors with build-in web cameras while BenQ will introduce a complete range of 17-24-inches high-end products later this year.
BenQ was the first LCD vendor to launch DVI and HDMI connectivity in region.
"Our wide LCD monitors are extremely popular in the Mena and Central Asia regions where less than 30-inch wide monitors constitute 98 per cent of the total LCD market," Manish Bakshi, General Manager, Middle East and Africa.Fright says the demand in the region is for 32 inch and 40 inch TVs. In another two years time, you will see the penetration rate touching 90-95 per cent in the Middle East.
iSuppli predicts 75.2 million LCD TV panels will be shipped globally in 2007, up 42.7 per cent from 52.7 million in 2006.
While such growth is impressive, it still represents a significant slowdown compared to 2006, when shipments rose by a whopping 95.8 per cent to reach 52.7 million units.
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