TW Audio opens Middle East office
Published: MEA
UAE: German manufacturer, TW Audio, has opened a Middle East office through a regional subsidiary, TW Audio Middle East (TWME). The new office is part of a larger plan from the manufacturer where it is targeting specific territories with local offices to provide distribution partners with technical support, training, and service.
‘The reasoning behind TW Audio Middle East was to benefit from the market growth in this region,’ stated TW Audio’s co-managing partner, Bernhard Wuestner. ‘Dubai is the central hub for the Arab world financially and economically. It is the place to be, as it is easy to access other countries from Dubai and vice versa. Moreover, Dubai is politically stable, safe, and to establish a company in Dubai is very simple. The Middle East region constitutes a huge and prosperous market, so we believe there is potential in this region for us to benefit and provide our products to people in this part of the world.’
The new office will be led by TWME general manager Farid Dagher and he cites potential growth in the region as one of the main reasons for the establishment of the subsidiary. ‘In the Middle East, the pro audio industry is still in its infancy and is extremely decentralised,’ said Mr Dagher. ‘In terms of the market as a whole, the size of the regional pro audio and pro visual sector accounts for roughly US$2.4 billion and is growing rapidly. We are looking at a 15 per cent growth rate per year from now up until Expo 2020.
‘The key is to find competent local distributors in the entire Middle East region,’ continued Mr Dagher. ‘In doing so it is crucial to find the right people in the right companies, which means people with adequate technical skills who understand their own local market, and who are also well known from the industry. Furthermore, you also have to look at the financial stability of the companies, and if this all comes together, then you have a good combination.’
TWME reportedly expects its market share to double in 2016. It will service local distributors in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, and also Iran, Lebanon, and Syria. ‘Currently we have two distributors in the Arabian region, Pro Lab in the UAE and Al Isteklal in Qatar,’ concluded Mr Wuestner. ‘Both are very well connected in their countries and they have been successfully working in the rental and installation markets for several years.’