Acer: 54 per cent growth on 2005 PC sales in MEA

In KSA, the Gulf Region's largest market, Acer consolidated its hold on the number one spot for notebooks by completing its eighth consecutive quarter in the top spot with a huge 30 percent market share. Notebook sales growth was at 132.5 percent by the end of Q4 2005 and was also the largest growth on its nearest competitors, thereby increasing the gap and strengthening their position as the number one in the Kingdom.

"Our mission, to break down the barriers between technology and people, is clearly illustrated by these extremely positive rankings that confirm just how much users, in a relatively short period of time, appreciate Acer's product range," said Emanuele Accolla, Acer Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

In the UAE, where Acer Middle East's head office is based, the company consolidated their hold on the number two spot by posting the largest growth in sales between Q4 2004 and Q4 2005 at 64 percent - again, the largest growth rate of the top three vendors. Acer also maintained its number two position on notebooks with a 90.4 percent increase in sales over the same period last year.

"Reliability, innovation and sophisticated design are the fundamental elements which, combined with rapid 'time to market' and our R&D department's innate ability to stay ahead of trends and anticipate user needs, distinguishes our strategy and how we develop our product lines,"

added Accolla.

In Egypt, the Middle East's most populous market, Acer finished 2005 as number three overall and number two on notebooks. Regionally, the increasingly popular notebook business saw Acer's sales grow at a rate of 93.4 percent, based on the previous end of year results.