US-based Western Digital International, a personal computing storage company, announced an overall growth of 15 percent for year 2001 in its operation in the Middle East with a total market share of 35 percent for the region. Western Digital is the only hard drive manufacturer with regional offices in the Middle East.
“Western Digital's significant growth rates achieved in year 2001 reflect the company's increased focus on the Middle East market in both the business and the consumer sectors,” said Heidi Berger, Western Digital vice president for marketing, Europe and the Middle East.
Western Digital has achieved record year-to-year quarter sales increase in 2001 in the Middle East, with growth rates of 50 percent in Egypt, 35.9 percent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and 13 percent in Saudi Arabia.
According to a recent IDC study, Western Digital has shipped more 7200 RPM drives than any of its competitors in the first quarter of 2001, making it the market leader in that category globally, as well as locally in the Middle East.
Western Digital is one of only two providers of hard drives to Microsoft's newly launched gaming console, the X-Box, which is now available in the Middle East markets.
WD’s local channel partners in the Middle East, Techdata and Al-Yousuf, hold 50 percent of WD’s market share for the Middle East. Jamjoom Advanced Technology and Nahil Computers in Saudi Arabia and North Africa Company (NAC) in Egypt reported notable share growth. In the UAE, Western Digital is represented distributors Servex, Al-Yousuf Computers and Techdata.
Founded in 1970, Western Digital provides products and services for the collection, management and use of digital information. Its core business is hard drive solutions. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
