Hadaiya.com signs up UK online gadget retailer

Launched by Tim and David Booth, Mike Harrison and their cat Rap, the company sources unusual hi-tech hardware from around the globe.

Bharat Jashanmal, managing director of Hadaiya.com, points out that the appeal of these quirky products will translate to the Middle East consumer. He said: "None of the electric selection of gadgets and gizmos serves any great purpose in life, but are all desirable because they take fun seriously."

Summing this ethos up is the Underwater Scooter, a Bond-like gadget that travels up to 2 miles per hour, either through the surf, or whizzing around the pool.

Products that have a slightly more tangible use include a wind-up mobile phone charger, DVD in-car entertainment, a micro PC the size of a CD, an executive golf set and a backpack picnic hamper.

Trevor Stokes, president and CEO of American Express Middle East and North Africa, said: "The idea behind Hadaiya.com is to provide something out of the ordinary. Traditional online favourites such as books, music, travel bookings and technology are all present, but the site's differentiator is in the products that are non-traditional."

"Browsing through the product offering is all part of the entertainment process that comes from a site as evolved and targeted as Hadaiya.com."

"American Express Cardmembers have come to expect excellence in product offering, service and price, and we believe Hadaiya.com delivers on all this - with the security guarantees that come from American Express back-end technology."

Stokes concluded: "In our ongoing research for Hadaiya.com, we realised that the retail experience in the Middle East is constantly evolving. Just as shopping malls are now making way for fully-fledged entertainment centres, so we felt we had to offer more than just click-to-buy."

"Online retail is a developing industry in the Middle East, and we are delighted to be able to bring leaders in many fields together in our pursuit of e-excellence. While we want to offer people things they need, we also believe in offering people those must-have items that make life more fun."