Harman House strengthens Middle East expansion initiative with opening of new store in Oman

The new retail outlet was opened in partnership with Genetco, one of Oman's most diversified, multi locational and multidivisional marketing and engineering organization. The new showroom, which is located at the first floor of Muscat City Centre (MCC), Seeb, was inaugurated by Khalil Bin Abdullah Al Konji, President of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI). Also present during the opening were M.A. Fadavi, Managing Director, Harman Middle East; Murtadha Hassan Ali Al Lawati, Chairman, Genetco; Dr Muthanna Al Durrah , CEO, Genetco and Amit Malani, President, Harman Middle East in the presence of top officials from 'harman house' and Genetco.

According to a recent report from BMI the Oman's AV sales is expected to grow from last year's $321m to $345m this year. The report points out that the key drivers for this increase will be the increase in demand for flat-screen TV sets. BMI also forecasts that Oman's per capita consumer electronics spend will reach $309 by 2017. TV sets account for more than half of all AV revenue in Oman, with flat-screen TV sets being the main driver of AV category sales growth over the forecast period. The report also revealed that there has also been an increased demand for other innovative products like tablets and feature rich smartphones, which is driven by the advent of next gen 4G mobile services, providing super-high internet speeds making it easier to access bandwidth hungry video and data. The rise in demand and sales of tablets, 3D and LED TV sets and feature-rich smart phones and tablets directly increases the demand of headphones, home theatre systems and docking stations, as there is a huge need for good quality sound.

"Opening this new store proves to be perfect timing for us as Oman has been demonstrating an increased demand for innovative technology and world-class quality products. The chief objective here is to let our Oman-based customers feel and experience best-in-class high quality sound systems," said Amit Malani, President, Harman Middle East. "With the large number of power retailers entering Oman today, we remain highly confident that our newly opened outlet will play a big role in our move to leverage the country's consumer electronics segment and position ourselves as the ultimate choice for high-end sound systems. The opening of the new branch follows after the recent opening of three new stores in Qatar and puts 'harman house' on track towards achieving a 100% growth for FY' 2012 - 2013."

"The opening of this new store demonstrates the strength of Genetco's partnership with 'harman house.' This alliance proves to be a winning combination as we both share common goals and objectives; placing strong focus on our customers and providing them with service excellence. The consumers in Oman have made key shifts in their purchasing habits of AV products; they are now looking at items that are not only world class but also products that can provide them with a one-of-a-kind viewing and listening experience. We are confident that the diverse range of products that 'harman house' offers will be able to address this demand," concluded Dr Muthanna Al Durrah, CEO, Genetco.

Genetco understands how important it is for its valued customers to interact with the products prior to purchasing them. The new showroom will feature a wide array of state-of-the-art consumer electronics and high-performance AV products from legendary Harman brands AKG, Harman Kardon, and JBL.