Lenovo defies market challenges to become No.2 player in UAE, Qatar and Kuwait

The latest preliminary results from IDC* for 1Q13 show that Lenovo has maintained its No.2 position in EMEA and has taken the #4 position in MEA PC market with a market share of 8.6%, up from 4.9% during the same quarter last year – a growth of 47.1% year-to-year. The rise in ranking is driven by the company’s ‘Protect and Attack’ strategy as well as growth in the Gulf and Africa regions. Furthering its market share in the Gulf, Lenovo moved up to second place for the first time in UAE, Qatar and Kuwait. Lenovo’s positive growth continues to defy market trends, outpacing the market significantly with year to year growth in 2013 of 47.1% across the Middle East and Africa market.

Commenting on the results, Oliver Ebel, vice president and general manager of Lenovo MEA said: “Our recent results are an indication that Lenovo is on the right track to become the #1 vendor in MEA. We believe this is the PC+ era and Lenovo is aiming to become the leader in smart connected devices. Lenovo is always committed in bringing the latest innovations to the region and we are dedicated to providing businesses and consumers in the region with new and innovative technology that make their lives easier.”

Earlier this year at CES in Las Vegas, Lenovo won more awards than all vendors combined. “With 50+ awards, Lenovo once again proves that innovation is in its DNA and this is what customers have come to expect from us,” he added. 

Oliver Ebel further stressed that Lenovo’s business in MEA has contributed significantly over the last three years in making Lenovo the fastest-growing PC maker among the world’s top vendors, and is the only vendor who has registered positive growth in challenging market trends. “The ‘protect and attack’ strategy has led to Lenovo’s growth for 10 consecutive quarters outpacing the overall PC market. This data shows a clear trend line and strong momentum and growth for Lenovo as it sets its sights on profitable, sustainable growth in the PC+ era.”

In its preliminary results analysis, IDC, the premier global market intelligence and advisory firm for the information technology and telecommunications markets, highlighted that the Middle East and Africa PC market experienced a significant decline of 14.1% year on year during the first quarter of 2013,. Total PC shipments in the region slowed down to 5.3 million units, with desktops declining 18.4% year on year to 2 million units, while notebook shipments declined 11.2% year on year to total 3.3 million units.

IDC further highlighted that Lenovo was the only player among the top vendors to experience growth in the region during Q1 2013, growing 44.1% year on year to place third. A common trait among each of these top vendors is that all three enjoy a stronghold in both the commercial and consumer end-user segments.

Mohammed Hilili, Lenovo Gulf general manager commented: “The Gulf region has become an increasingly strategic market for Lenovo, where we have invested heavily over the past several years to establish a strong network of partners and a growing customer base. Over the past year, we have witnessed incredible demand and uptake for Lenovo innovations amongst consumers, SMBs and enterprises, proving once again that Lenovo remains a brand of choice.”