Three-pronged drive crucial to i2’s efforts to stay number one in region

Mobile phone distributor i2 has unveiled a three-pronged strategy aimed at reinforcing its position in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and capitalising on predicted double-digit subscriber growth in the region over the next five years.

The company, which claims to be the largest mobile phone distributor in the region, plans to boost its retail presence in the Middle East, enter new territories across Africa and expand through several soon-to-be-announced acquisitions.

“With the number of mobile subscribers worldwide predicted to reach 3.96 billion by 2011, i2 is taking the necessary steps to maintain its position as the leading mobile distributor in the region,” i2 president Abdul Hamid Al Sunaid said.

“Our new business and marketing drive focuses on three main levels: new markets, strategic acquisitions, and an invigorated retail presence,” he stated.

Although some markets such as Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE are saturated, the Middle East still has high subscriber growth potential and remains a key market for i2, the company said.

Growth in the number of subscribers to mobiles in the region is predicted to grow at a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of 19% from 2005 to 2011 reaching 122.43 million mobile subscribers by 2011, according to research by the firm.

The Middle East will continue to be a crucial market, the company stated. “Our efforts in the Middle East will be focused on revitalising our physical retail presence with innovative concepts that revolve around offering the consumer a unique retail experience that goes beyond the limits of selling handsets,” Al Sunaid said.

He added that the Saudi Arabia-founded distributor, which already has 350 stores in the regi- on, plans to open further i2 stores throughout the GCC. In Africa, the firm will expand its operations to Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and the Ivory Coast.

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