RIM 'aggressively' expanding in Mideast

AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION: RIM will be boosting Blackberry's presence across the GCC and Jordan. (Getty Images)

The creators of the popular Blackberry smartphone are expanding "aggressively" across the Gulf in a bid to meet high demand, a Research In Motion (RIM) executive said on Tuesday.

Khaled Kefel, director of sales for Turkey, Middle East and Africa, told Arabian Business on the sidelines of the Gitex technology exhibition that the growth potential of the region was enormous.

Kefel said RIM is boosting the presence of Blackberry in Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.

"We are launching more carriers, the biggest challenge for us is keeping up with demand, everybody wants to offer it. We are working aggressively to fulfill demand," he said.

While RIM does not disclose its regional figures, Kefel said the growth margins are comparable to the firm's global results.

RIM currently has over 19 million subscribers to Blackberry, with revenues in the second quarter of 2008 increasing to $2.58 billion, up 88 percent from the same period in 2007, and up 15% from the previous quarter.

Kefel said the brand is seeing strong demand from the financial, healthcare and real estate sectors in the region, which are all seeking to improve company efficiency and boost productivity, he said.

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