GCC expansion to be Tejari's focus at GITEX 2004

At the Middle East's leading IT tradeshow, Tejari will highlight its presence in the region and announce the forging of new partnerships in the Gulf.

Having entered many new markets - including the successful launch of Tejari Jordan in mid-2002, Lebanon, Iraq and Kuwait during 2003 and Syria this year - Tejari is once again focused on increasing its presence in the Gulf's flourishing trading markets.

"Members of the business community in the Gulf have been quick to understand the benefits of online procurement. Based on this strong interest, we are now placing emphasis on further expanding our presence in the GCC," said Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tejari.

To support Tejari's expansion across the region, the company has developed a dedicated in-house department, which is devoted to assisting franchise partners establishing Tejari in new markets, while increasing the level of online trading operations in these regions. Headed by Rami Al-Jaghoob, Vice President of Franchise Operations at Tejari, the department aims to support franchise partners so they can achieve success in new markets.

"Building on our in-depth level of knowledge and experience with the Tejari brand, our team offers partners a range of services, from assistance with hiring high calibre employees and working out the best go-to-market strategy, to sales training and advice on attracting online buyers and sellers," said Al-Jaghoob. "We work closely with our franchise partners across the Middle East to educate their business communities about the benefits and importance of electronic procurement and encourage further adoption of online trading," he added.

New Procurement Services in the Spotlight at GITEX 2004
Visitors to Tejari's GITEX stand will be among the first in the region to see Tejari's latest service offerings - aimed at its enterprise level customers - running live. The offerings, available to large corporations and government bodies trading on Tejari, include new services such as strategic sourcing, spend analysis, asset disposal, content syndication, and aggregate buying.

Visitors to the Tejari stand at the five-day event will also get the chance to witness the Tejari Project Collaboration tool in action. The tool, which enables organizations to collaborate in real time on jointly authored documents, drawings, and building plans via the electronic marketplace, has been enthusiastically received and piloted by a number of companies in the Middle East's construction and property development sectors.

A full demonstration will also be given to visitors on the 'My Tejari' portal, which sets new regional standards for personalization and notification in mobile commerce. 'My Tejari' enables both buyers and suppliers trading on the marketplace to personalize their view of the trading community based on business preferences, and receive real-time updates on their online activities, including tenders and auctions, by SMS alert, e-mail, or fax.

With announcements scheduled for GITEX 2004 about new partnerships, Tejari anticipates that increased regional expansion will contribute to making this year even more successful than 2003. Tejari finished 2003 on a high, with a record number of organizations using the online trading facility. By the end of 2003, Tejari had attracted 2,471 members - representing nearly 1000 new trading partners. With the rising number of trading partners, Tejari hosted its highest number of online auctions yet, during 2003. By year-end, the online marketplace had conducted 10,395 auctions - a 110 percent increase on the previous year.

"Tejari has continued to grow in the Middle East based on our ability to create new services and areas of market reach to serve the interests of the market. Taking part in a regional exhibition such as GITEX provides Tejari with the opportunity to continue its education campaign in the Middle East," concluded Sheikha Lubna.

GITEX attendees can visit Tejari at stand C6-1 in Hall 6.