Global crisis affects sales
Sony Ericsson decreasing presence in Arab market
Due to drop in sales, leading telecommunications company closes its offices in Cairo, Riyadh and Rabat. Meanwhile, popular singer Nancy Ajram recruited as main promoter of company's music channel in Arab world
Sony Ericsson, one of the world's biggest phone manufacturing companies, is decreasing its presence in the Arab world due to the global financial crisis.
Company sources say that in the past few weeks the company shut down its offices in the capital cities of Cairo, Riyadh and Rabat.
Mohammed Salameh, Sony Ericsson's regional manager, stated that the offices' shutdown did not mean that the company was abandoning the Egyptian, Saudi or Moroccan markets.
He explained that the company's interests in these markets would be run by the main regional office in Dubai.
In a press conference held Monday, Salameh stressed his company's commitment to the Arab world, and announced that popular singer Nancy Ajram had been recruited as the main promoter of the company's music channel in the Arab world.
Salameh admitted that Sony Ericsson's sales, like the sales of other telecommunication companies, have suffered in recent months due to the drop in demands.
"We are no different than the rest of the companies in the different industry's fields, headed by the communications sector," the regional manager said.
Doron Peskin is head of research at Info-Prod Research (Middle East) Ltd
