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Huawei enters Saudi smartphone market | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Huawei headquarters in Saudi Arabia. Source: Asharq Al-Awsat


Huawei headquarters in Saudi Arabia. Source: Asharq Al-Awsat

Huawei headquarters in Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat–Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has entered the Saudi Arabian market, bringing competition for Apple and Samsung. While the latter firms dominate the market, the Chinese company is expected to become a major competitor in the market for mobile phones throughout the second half of the year.

At an event held Saturday night in the capital, Riyadh, Huawei unveiled their new smartphone, the Ascend P6, which the company aimed to place on the Saudi market “today or tomorrow, at most.” The device will be distributed exclusively through Mobily, a Saudi Arabian telecommunications company.

Huawei officials intend to sell 100,000 units of the Ascend P6—not an impossible goal given the wide capabilities in sale and after-sale services provided by Mobily, according to analysts.

According to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, Mobily plans to begin sales of the Ascend P6 in Saudi Arabia as soon as possible. The timing of the release, shortly before Eid Al-Fitr, could enhance chances of success, with many Saudi citizens and residents purchasing new gadgets and smartphones over the festive season.

During the conference, Huawei disclosed that the price of their latest model would be SAR 1,599 (USD 426.4). There have been expectations that the company will succeed as a result of its collaboration with Mobily, which has sold 1.5 million units of Apple’s iPhones over the last few years.

After witnessing increasing growth in the field throughout recent years, Huawei decided to offer the Ascend P6 on the Saudi market—the first in the region to receive the device. They also pointed out that Huawei has previously considered the Gulf to be a ‘promising region’ in terms of profitability.