HP Targets Middle East Expansion as Growth slows elsewhere

Computer manufacturer HP is targeting expansion in the Middle East as growth in Europe and the US slows.

Salim Ziade, general manager of HP Personal Systems Group Middle East, said that HP’s market share in the Gulf is currently around 30 per cent.

“In the UAE, we’ve been growing above 20 per cent in 2011 over 2010,” he said, adding that the company is looking to grow faster than the market’s growth rate of 15 per cent.

“The market is growing at ten or 15 per cent; our objective is to grow above that rate. In terms of figures, I would say we would like to add another 100,000 units.”

HP is currently capitalizing on the growth in the Middle East region with significant investments in terms of people, office openings and marketing, Ziade added.

“If you look at the global economy, where do you see the growth around the world? Europe is pretty down now, at least for the next 18 months. The United States is doing better but it’s been struggling for some time, as Gulf News stated.

“Even the growth you had for some of the Asian countries is not as big as it used to be, so the Middle East is one of the regions where there is the biggest growth and biggest potential.”

His comments came as HP launched its HP Z1 workstation in Abu Dhabi yesterday.