Acer, the second-largest computer maker in the world, is launching an unusual retail presence to take advantage of a 7 per cent increase in sales last year in the UAE that bucked a downturn in the regional market.
The "experience" stores will not sell goods but display the company's products in a showroom-type setting that has proved popular in Europe and India.
"It's like going online to our website," said Krishna Murthy, the regional marketing director for Acer in the Middle East and Africa.
"Customers can get a feeling of what they are going to get, see what the price is and then go to another shop and negotiate with them there."
The Taiwanese company is primarily known as a maker of desktop and laptop computers but has expanded its portfolio to offer servers, storage devices, mobile handsets and, recently, tablet computers.
The company recently posted its strongest profit growth in nine quarters after overtaking Hewlett-Packard globally and beating its own forecast to take top spot in the laptop market.
Acer's presence in the Middle East has grown over the past several years, Mr Murthy said.
The company invested in an assembly plant in Jebel Ali in 1997 and has consistently seen its revenue grow annually since then, he said. Last year, a rise in spending on laptop computers improved Acer's revenue by 7 per cent in a market in which sales of consumer electronic devices was down by 20 per cent.
"The Middle East is a very potent market," Mr Murthy said.
"The purchasing power in this region is much higher than other regions ? These are oil and gas-based economies. The governments that get revenues from that sector are reinvesting into infrastructure."
Acer plans to open at least one "experience" retail store in the UAE by the end of the year, Mr Murthy said.
The company's expansion efforts come at an opportune time.
The UAE is forecast to spend almost US$5 billion (Dh18.36bn) on technology this year, according to the market research company IDC.
Companies in the Middle East and Africa are expected to spend $49.77bn this year, with the Gulf region expected to account for about 25 per cent of the total.
To meet growing demand in the region, Acer plans to introduce four brands - Acer, Packard-Bell, eMachines and Gateway - to suit various consumer and business needs.
"There's a lot of economic activities happening here and there's a large technology requirement to meet that," Mr Murthy said.
"This region is going to grow, which is why we keep investing in our own infrastructure."
@Email:dgeorgecosh@thenational.ae
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
