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Samsung claims 21pc market share

DUBAI - Samsung Electronics yesterday announced that it had further strengthened its number two position in the region's mobile phone market by acquiring a 20.8 per cent market share (in terms of mobile phone sales value) in the UAE.

The leading European Research Group, GfK, released this study and as per the research, Samsung's closest competitor recorded a market share of less than five per cent.

The key propellers of this growth are Samsung's Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) enabled camera phone-SGH-V200 and SGH-T500, the phone targeted at female users. Samsung recorded more than 30 per cent market share in the category of Dh1250 and above, which is Samsung's prime focus area.

D.K. Byeon, president, Samsung Gulf Electronics (SGE) said the recent Business Week and Interbrand Consultancy annual survey of the top 100 global brands, ranked Samsung as the world's 25th largest brand. "In keeping with our global trend, we already rank number two and are rapidly moving towards capturing the larger pie of the mobile phones market share in the UAE." Business week reported Samsung mobiles as the number two player in terms of sales value worldwide, based on the Q1 sales in year 2003. According to the GfK report, Samsung in terms of value grew by 190 per cent comparing the sales of May/Jun 2002 and May/June 2003. In terms of unit sales Samsung has achieved a market share of 17.6 per cent, solidifying its position as the second largest player in the UAE market.

As per GfK, the total number of mobile phones sold in UAE during the first half of year 2003 is 663,598 units amounting to Dhs 373,473,300. The total number of mobile phones sold during May 2002 to Jun 2003 is 1,325,592 units.

"The industry grew at the rate of 52.8 per cent, where as Samsung enjoyed an astronomical growth rate of 190 per cent during the period of May/June 2002 and 2003. The advent of colour phones, camera phones and the recent MMS revolution, were the key drivers in catapulting Samsung's growth in the mobile phones industry," said Steve Han, senior manager-Telecommunications, Samsung Gulf Electronics.

"Innovation based on customer feedback is key to our growth worldwide. With our range of innovative phones such as the SGH-V200, the Tri-band, MMS and GPRS-enabled (General Packet Radio Service) camera mobile phone coupled with Samsung's SGH-T500, will continue to enhance Samsung's position in the regional mobile communications industry," said Sudhir Nair, sales and marketing manager, Telecommunications Division, Middle East Region.