Muscat: Mobile handset users in the GCC region are a potentially strong market and are more loyal to their brand than people in the rest of the world, according to Hyung Sik Paik, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE.
"GCC customers are less likely to change brands although the younger generation is ready to look for a change," Paik said on the sidelines of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Al Khanjar Infosystem for the distribution of LG Mobile phones in Oman.
In reply to a question, the South Korean said according to their market survey, UAE residents changed their handsets the most in the region followed by those in Qatar and Kuwait.
South Korea‘s LG Electronics sees the Middle East as a strong market to grow as markets recover from the 2009 global economic recession.
"We sell less than my expectations in this market but this year we hope to increase our sales as the Middle East is showing faster recovery from the recession," Paik said.
LG currently has seven per cent of their global sales in the Middle East.
"This region has potential and we are looking to make the most of it this year," he said, adding LG's biggest market was the US and South America.
With their new partners in Oman, Paik said LG was looking to increase the mobile handset market share to 15 per cent. He is optimistic the growing popularity of Smart and Android phones will help LG capture a larger market share in Oman and the rest of the region.
Considered leaders in the code division multiple access (CDMA) category, LG is now aiming to consolidate its position in the GSM segment also.
"Wireless [communication] is an important part of our business and we are now focusing on GSM handsets," Paik said.
Paik believes his South Korean company's mobile handset business will see a growth of 35 per cent in 2010.
"The GCC region will also see a strong growth," he said.
Post-recession, Paik said the first quarter of this year had shown encouraging results but he was hopeful of even better sales statistics in the third quarter in the region.
Nawras launches services for business customers
Muscat: Nawras yesterday launched the much-anticipated fixed line services for business customers in Oman.
Nawras CEO Ross Cormack unveiled the services during a press conference held at Bait Al Baranda in Muscat.
Nawras has now transformed into a full service provider offering customers solutions to all their fixed, mobile and internet needs from a single source.
With a wide portfolio of broadband internet, voice and data products, Nawras' new fixed services will be suitable for businesses of any size. Over the last five years Nawras has built a solid reputation for offering different mobile services of excellent quality and reliability, says Cormack.
"Today, we are excited to be adding to this rewarding experience through the launch of our new fixed services. We are ready to deliver our new products and services with innovative quality, great value and professional support."
