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Good things happening in Abu Dhabi, Dubai: BenQ

DUBAI — Electronics giant BenQ Corp looks forward to continue its drive to ramp up its market share in the Middle East, with the UAE being its focal point, top officials said.

In an interview with Khaleej Times during GITEX 2010 on Thursday, they said that the potentials in the country — led by Abu Dhabi and Dubai — are vast and the Taipei-based company is keen to grab all opportunities that come along.

“Abu Dhabi and Dubai can be technology demonstrators, meaning that they can be at the forefront of technology in the region,” said Adrian Chang, BenQ’ Asia-Pacific President.

“The UAE is famous as a trading hub because of its infrastructure and services, and it is our gateway to the rest of the markets nearby. I am quite optimistic about the region,” he added.

Chang added that business is coming back to the region in the wake of the global financial downturn, and that more and more companies are looking into the Middle East.

“Why go to the US or Europe when they [businesses] can do it here?” he said.

Chang cited Abu Dhabi as a place BenQ is greatly looking into, with lots of projects in the solar and green sectors coming up, industries in which the company is seriously looking into to expand its footprint.

Dubai, on the other hand, has more companies investing as business confidence is growing, proof of the emirate’s resilience, he said. “I look forward to a good year ahead for the UAE and the Middle East,” he said.

Manish Bakshi, BenQ’s General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, sees a “very bright” future ahead not just for BenQ, but for the overall IT industry.

“We are striving to become more aggressive to further penetrate the education and office market,” he said. “We have increased and we will increase our marketing budget many, many times [for this purpose].”

At GITEX, Bakshi said that BenQ’s highlight is its Point Draw Technology that is incorporated in its flagship educational projector, the MP 780 ST.

“Increasingly, we are seeing schools shift from traditional to digital resources… GITEX is an effective platform to showcase BenQ’s product range that will transform classrooms across the Middle East,” he said, adding that BenQ will be having a bigger presence at GITEX 2011.

“We stand a good chance at increasing our market share… I have many ideas for next year. We have to become more aggressive in our approach,” he said.

Bakshi added that BenQ will be launching its LED TV in the UAE and the Middle East in January, something he is looking forward to.

BenQ is also featuring its newest range of cameras and video camcorders at GITEX through its partners like Jacky’s Electronics, Emax and Sharaf DG, and Bakshi said that it has been received positively.

· alvin@khaleejtimes.com