Jabra adds Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for the Middle East and Africa

Jabra is part of GN Mobile, the industry's largest supplier of Bluetooth headsets based in Copenhagen Denmark.

To better serve the regional market, Sherif Barakat has joined the Jabra EMEA team and will serve as a dedicated Regional Sales and Marketing Manager responsible for operations in the Middle East and Africa. Sherif Baraket will be based in Dubai and his appointment is part of an overall expansion of sales and marketing support for Jabra products in the Middle East and Africa. Jabra products are currently available in more than 80,000 retail outlets and sold to a distribution network covering 56 countries worldwide.

Prior to joining the company, Sherif was Regional Manager at Siemens for Middle East and Africa. Earlier in his career, Sherif served at Motorola as Regional Manager for North Africa, and won the BRAVO award for the most innovative manager in the EMEA region.

Vincent Peña, Jabra sales and marketing director, South EMEA, said, "Having a permanent representative in the UAE is an important step to support the local market, build our partnerships and further strengthen our business in the region. I am confident that Sherif will offer the region excellent support and significantly contribute to Jabra's growth in the region."

In 2004, IMS Research estimated that GN Mobile was the largest producer of Bluetooth headsets for mobile phones worldwide and that the company had approximately 35 percent of the total global market share in Bluetooth headsets.

Sherif Barakat, Jabra regional sales and marketing manager for MEA said, "Working with an internationally renowned brand such as Jabra that is constantly breaking new ground in the industry is an exciting new challenge for me. With extensive knowledge in the telecomm industry and my Middle Eastern background, I believe I can further develop sales through all key channels in the Middle East market and raise awareness of the benefits of hands-free communication."

"With more than 70 million mobile phone subscribers in the Middle East, there is significant market potential for products offering major benefits to mobile users like Jabra's hands-free communication solutions," added Vincent Peña.

"The continuous worldwide growth of the Bluetooth headset market and the enthusiasm shown towards our products in a complex and diverse Middle East market proves to be a key region and long term strategic market for Jabra products."

Jabra products were introduced in the Middle East in 2003 and are widely available in popular retail outlets across the region. The Jabra product range includes industry-leading wireless Bluetooth and corded headsets, speakerphones and mobile accessories for use with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and devices. The Jabra product portfolio offers a variety of styles, features, designs and prices for every mobile lifestyle and give users the freedom to communicate hands-free without restriction.