From left: Hartmut Wesenberg (managing director, BSH Home Appliances Saudi Arabia LLC), Dirk Hoffmann (senior vice president - International Sales BSH - Asia-Pacific, Africa & Middle East), Jean Dufour (chief sales & marketing officer, BSH Global), Mohammed Alawy Al Saggaff (member of the board of management), Henning Voss (chief executive officer, BSH - Middle East, Africa & East Asia).By Querubin J. Mi?as Saudi Gazette JEDDAH - Against the backdrop of renewed consumer confidence in the Kingdom, Bosch Siemens Home Appliances Company of Germany and Mohammed Alawy Al Saggaff - founder of Al Jezy Group, a diversified business group, launched their joint venture company with a share capital of SR40 million. At the unveiling ceremony on Sunday of the newly formed BSH Home Appliances Saudi Arabia LLC, top company officials expressed optimism that in due time, the company would be able to gain market edge. The main selling points of their products, apart from having the German technology at its best, are “technical innovation and utmost energy efficiency.” One of the cutting-edge benefits of Bosch and Siemens products is their energy and water efficiency. The BSH appliances reduce water consumption by 50 percent and save energy by 60 percent, company officials said. Jean Dufour, member of the board of management, chief sales and marketing officer, Bosch Siemens Home Appliances Company, said the long track record of both Bosch and Siemens - which have been respected names in the industry for more than a century - would give the consumers an assurance not only of quality but of technological ingenuity for its products. Being the number three leading brand in the world and number one in Europe, BSH gives special emphasis on its research and development. Dufour said above three percent of its annual sales is allocated to its continuous research projects, adding that the company comes up with one patent every day as a manifestation of its quest for much superior products. In some cases, “there are 50 patents in one product alone,” he noted. BSH has a global sale of over 41 million appliances each year. Dufour said “BSH is bringing a new business dynamic to the home appliances sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - one of our largest markets in the Middle East region - with the new joint venture. This is part of our long-term commitment to the Kingdom, which envisages the opening of the dedicated showrooms and service centers as well as the introduction of a wide range of energy efficient and environment-friendly products.” Dufour further said BSH “creates trust” first and foremost. “it is our benchmark,” he added. Al Saggaff sees potential for medium to high-end home appliances in the Kingdom. He said the new company will further drive the growth of the German company Bosch and Siemens products - renowned for their quality and technological superiority - in the Kingdom. Al Saggaff noted that “Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, which has proved remarkable resilience to the global financial crisis. Led by the visionary policies of the government in creating new Economic Cities that drive domestic demand, the home appliances sector is poised for growth. BSH brings in the world's best in consumer appliances, noted for their quality and technological advances, which will appeal to the upwardly mobile young Saudi population.” Among the key drivers of the Saudi Arabian home appliances market is the rapid industrialization policy of the government that has created new jobs and thus boosted domestic demand. BSH products have already been chosen for high-profile projects in the Kingdom including King Abdullah Economic City, highlighting their quality and technological edge. BSH's range of domestic appliances finds resonance with the local consumers for their quality, energy and water efficiency and long life, which have been proven over the past several decades. The new joint venture, which builds on several decades of active presence of BSH in the Kingdom, is part of an expansion plan for significant growth, and leverages the growth potential offered by the Kingdom, the largest economy in the GCC region. With a focus on enhanced services, BSH Home Appliances Saudi Arabia will work toward driving investments in three new regional centers to be managed by experienced professionals. The new entity will also play a key role in the socio-economic development of the Kingdom by promoting new jobs in sales, finance and marketing for Saudi nationals. It is estimated that private households are the second largest consumer of energy worldwide and the third largest emitters of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Saudi Arabia also faces strong demand for power and water, thus highlighting the need for efficient consumer appliances is the call of the hour. “The introduction of energy and water efficient products through Bosch and Siemens will further add to the effort of the Kingdom to promote sustainable development. This will be further supported by our planned service centers that will further help customers to improve the efficiency of product usage,” Al Saggaff said. The BSH showrooms will also provide comprehensive consumer advice and information as well as assist in creating an energy-labeling scheme. BSH's product range includes cooling, washing, dishwashing, cooking appliances as well as smaller appliances including breakfast sets, food preparation accessories, vacuum cleaners, irons and personal care products, which suit diverse needs of the market. The launch was marked by the introduction of an entire new range of high quality Bosch and Siemens products at the showroom of BSH Home Appliances Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, located at Tahlia Street. A second showroom will open in Riyadh later this year. Service centers that draw on the market domain knowledge of Al Saggaff, who has over 15 years of experience in marketing BSH products in the Kingdom, will be opened later this year. The new company eyes SR50 million for its future expansion plans. “Demand for Bosch and Siemens products is further complemented by the higher disposable income of the Saudi population, led by a strong middle income segment,” said Hartmut Wesenberg, managing director, BSH Home Appliances Saudi Arabia. __
