High-flying Toshiba mobile computers soar up the sales charts

Latest official figures from IDC - the independent market research specialist - show that Toshiba recorded significant sales increases in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait during 2003 while its main competitor's growth was marginal or negative.

Toshiba's 2003 sales in Saudi Arabia grew by a staggering 213.6 per cent over the previous year and in the UAE by 13.5 per cent. In Kuwait, comparable figures are available only for the last two quarters of 2003, but Toshiba maintained its market leadership with a 24.8 per cent share for Q4 and unit sales of 1,661.

In Saudi Arabia, unit sales of 18,807 almost doubled Toshiba's market share from 12.2 to 23.8 per cent, outstripping overall market growth and reducing the gap on the leader from more than 18,500 units to roughly 4,000.

In the UAE, Toshiba maintained steady annual growth of 13.5 per cent, with unit sales up from 12,392 to 14,069 - cutting the differential against the market leader from about 6,000 to 1,400.

Toshiba has also broken ranks with the rest of the computer industry by becoming the first to disclose the US dollar value of sales for the period - almost $80 million in its operating areas of the GCC, Levant, and Egypt.

This gives Toshiba a 25 per cent share of the total market that grew by about 45 per cent to 235,000 units during the year. Toshiba was the first computer manufacturer to disclose actual unit sales in each country where it operates and competitors have yet to follow suit.

"We have increased or maintained market share in all countries where we operate and our target is to achieve market leadership in the region by the end of 2004," says Ahmed Khalil, regional manager of the Toshiba's Middle East computer systems division.

"We are rationalising our production systems and product line-up to focus on added value technology, and this coupled with a renewed focus on market segmentation will enable us to generate even more growth.

"The fastest-growing segment is small-to-medium businesses (SMB) followed by small office/home office (SOHO) then corporate accounts, and this is where we will concentrate our efforts for the rest of the year, extending distribution channels and our retail network."

Toshiba's total Middle East market share has soared from barely double figures since control of the region was shifted in April 2000 from Singapore to the company's European headquarters in Germany, thus shortening the supply chain and moving closer to customers.

"Our product range is at the leading edge of mobile computing technology and because new models are now released in the Middle East at the same time as they first reach European markets, customers here have instant access to the latest systems," says Khalil.

"Add our dedicated network of financially sound and market-reputable distribution partners and Toshiba's unique three-year international warranty across the entire product range - something that no other competitor can offer - and you have the main ingredients for our success."