China’s smartphone manufacturer Realme is aiming for a five-fold year-on-year growth in its shipment volumes this year as it enters the Middle East market.
The smartphone-maker, which sold more than 25 million devices globally in 2019, will also introduce an affordable 5G phone to the region upon its local launch.
"The Middle East launch will be a major driver of growth… significantly adding to our shipments and market share," Josef Wang, president of Realme Middle East and Africa, told The National, on Monday, after the official announcement of the brand's entry into the region.
“Our shipments grew five times yearly in 2019 and we are expecting the same surge this year.”
Founded in May, 2018, Realme started its operations from India - one of the biggest markets for budget-conscious smartphones. The Shenzhen-headquartered company’s cheapest smartphone starts from $108 (Dh399), with advanced models costing more than $600.
Realme first appeared in China in 2010 as “Oppo Real” – a sub-brand of Oppo Electronics. It separated from Oppo in 2018 to become an independent company.
The firm launched its first 5G smartphone – priced at less than $350 (Dh1,285) – in China last week.
“We will be bringing cheaper 5G-enabled smartphone to the hands of regional consumers. We are investing a lot in R&D to bring down the overall cost of 5G smartphone technology.”
Realme is also “investing aggressively in the Internet of Things and wearable technology in 2020”, Mr Wang added. However, he did not disclose the size of its investment.
Realme expanded to South East Asia, China, Egypt and Western Europe following its successful launch in India. Currently, it is selling its products in 22 countries.
“We used India to gauge the initial feedback of consumers towards our products… it was very positive and that also proved useful in our next launches. We wanted to enter China well-prepared as competition is fierce in our home market,” said Mr Wang.
Realme will set up regional bases in both Cairo and Dubai to focus on Africa and Middle East markets respectively.
“Overall, this region sees an annual sale of more than 23 million smartphones and still there is an appetite for new players,” said Mr Wang.
“Being realistic, we expect this region to contribute up to 15 per cent [of] our overall revenues in the next couple of years.”
Realme started selling its phones in Egypt – its only market in Africa - in January last year.
“Egypt is a young country with huge demand for premium economical smartphones,” said Mr Wang.
Realme, which is planning to enter Eastern Europe and Russia by the end of this year, has more than 1,000 employees in its Cairo office and aims to have “hundreds” of employees in Dubai by the end of this year.
It predicts Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Kuwait will be its growth markets in the region.
Realme has rapidly grabbed market share within the highly competitive field of smartphone production, leapfrogging from 47th position in June 2018 to the seventh position by the third quarter of 2019.
The company is also looking to step up sales via e-commerce channels in the region.
“We are in talks with Noon and Amazon and will soon announce partnerships,” said Mr Wang.
Realme, which manufactures most of its smartphones at its facilities in China, India and Indonesia, will open an assembly unit in Bangladesh in the coming months.
The company might "open an assembly facility in some part of Africa, but it will depend on demand and costs”, said Mr Wang.
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWest%20Asia%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Bahrain%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%201%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%202%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%20III%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDubai%20Sevens%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
