In the present day highly competitive world of technological innovations punctuated by economic hiccups, to stay on top is every company's dream. And the watch industry is no exception. But in the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, the economic strength makes it a prime market for all categories of watches - from high-end, luxury watches (defined as timepieces that retail from $2,000) to utilitarian but trendy ones. Based on a recent regional study, the market for luxury timepieces remains strongest in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, though Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the Levant offer sizable room to grow. Rolex still leads the pack in terms of market share, with 15 percent of the Saudi market alone. However, for functionality yet high quality and trendy watches, what comes to mind is Casio, a Japanese timepiece that was able to carve a niche for itself and gained global respect. At the watch dealers' convention organized recently at the Jeddah Inter Continental Hotel by Mahmood Saleh Abbar Co. – the sole agent and distributor of Casio products in Saudi Arabia – Saleh M. Balahwal, General Manager, Mahmood Saleh Abbar Co., said the company plans to build six more showrooms this year in key strategic areas to beef up their current 14 showrooms amid ever growing market. It also introduced new decoration for Casio's “G-Factory” where customers can find information about Casio's five major categories - G-Shock, Baby-G, Edifice, Sheen and Protrek - which represent 64 percent of its global sales last year, Masaki Kato, Sales Section, Timepiece Department, Casio Computer Co. Ltd, told the Saudi Gazette at the function. Balahwal also told the Gazette that Casio is the leader in the Kingdom in terms of sales growth, adding that certain models alone - like the Classic Casio Digital A158 and A159 – sell an average of 1.2 million pieces every year. Saudi Arabia's “open market” made the Kingdom the launch pad for all markets in the whole of Africa and the Middle East, he pointed out. The 6-8 million Umrah visitors a year have earned the moniker “bag merchants” for their propensity to buy Casio watches in bulk when they return home – plus an estimated 2 million people who come for Haj – make Casio the market leader in volume sales, Balahwal noted. The Gulf countries contributed more than 50 percent of Casio's sales in the Middle East and Africa region, he added. Kato further said the fast-growing Saudi population and a strong economy offer a lot of opportunities for Casio's business expansion in the Kingdom. In this respect, Casio plans to increase its investment here, he added. Mohammad Ali Basurrah, Manager, Casio Division, added that Casio watches' technological sophistication and fashionable designs continuously attract people's admiration, particularly the youth. He said there are over 2,000 models of Casio watches available in the Kingdom, the latest of them (in the five main categories) feature smart access technologies, enabling Casio to establish a firm position in the global watch market.
