Tech Interviews
RISING TO THE OCCASION

By Editor
Describe Gemalto’s operations in the regionWithout even knowing it, almost all of use Gemalto services on a daily basis, the company being a global leader in secure access solutions. Hsin Hau Hanna, VP, Global Marketing Communications discusses how Gemalto is helping secure our increasingly mobile future
We are a leader in digital security solutions; a lot of that has to do with solutions that run over the servers and that in turn leverage secure personal devices that are there to protect the accessees. It’s different from the usual anti-virus where you are protecting the perimeter of the network. Our solutions are creating the right authenticated access for communications, payment, data access or for physical access of some kind. Basically, our solutions are for creating some kind of authenticated user access. For instance in the region we are doing Electronic Identity Cards, and the systems behind it to manage e-Government services to make sure that people can be properly authenticated and they can maintain their privacy to protect them as well. We also work with mobile service providers that cover 75% of consumers in the region. We also worked with about 30 banks in the region when they migrated to chip cards and now we work with some of the biggest banks in the region including Emirates NBD, Barclays, Standard Chartered and many more.
Discuss some of your solutions in banking and card payments
For banks, we provide them various server services and payment cards so their end customers can have peace of mind as they enjoy the payment services or e-banking and make sure that all the back-end services are well taken care as well. We have many types of solutions in mobile communication; from helping mobile providers send out marketing campaigns to telephones; to setting up mobile payments or for people to use their mobile payments; to enabling people use their smartphones to pay for transport.
We are working with Emirates NBD for their Go4it card, a multi-application card that allows customers to use in in Dubai’s metro system as we all as traditional shopping thus creating more convenience for users in having a single card to use for several different functions. For banks the key is “Top-of-Wallet”, in that whatever you can do, be it an innovative service or marketing; you do what you can do to help consumers have an affiliation with your products that help you push your products better.
What in your opinion sets Gemalto apart from the competition?
What we strive to do is provide a range of security solutions that are convenient to use. Many times security and convenience may seem incompatible with each other. Security applications sometimes means adding layers on top of one another making it very difficult for customers. So we always think of how to make things easy the end result being solutions such as Near Field Communication (NFC). It’s very easy to create consumer friction with people deciding to stop using your services. In the workplace, if you make life too difficult for employees to access the emails or the company account, they may not use it or try for ways around it.
Discuss your solutions for mobile payments and the security protocols around it
People are concerned with the security implications of putting a bank account in a smart phone that is as safe as your own bank card. Gemalto can take your bank credentials and put them in a phone, store it in a tamper-proof place, in this case a sim card and the leverage your payment account and enable you activate it, deactivate it, download it and so on. Within those secure devices, there’s not only secure OS that enable you to run the application, but the one thing that Gemalto has been doing very well is that we have been miniaturizing applications to allow access over smartphones as many of us do not have the luxury to desktops and laptops. The embedded software sitting on those devices is the one doing the authentication.
How can an organization that takes Gemalto as a vendor be able to protect itself from the rising cases of hacking and other security breaches
All organizations need to be able to protect their IT assets; make sure that the right people with the right access have the right credentials. For banks, the database that holds customer information is the most sensitive of all. So you have to be sure that you have all the right security policies and the technology framework around it. The best way is to have a multi-channel and holistic way of looking at all these aspects. It does not take just one breakthrough to compromise the whole system. There are many ways this can be done-you can protect consumers from the back end to make sure their data is not leaked; you can upgrade technology to make sure you are using the latest technology whether they are making card payments, online payments and so on.
If you have high value customers like enterprise customers like company CEOs, make sure you give them two-factor authentication for them whenever they do e-banking so that they are not just logging using their passwords which are inherently insecure. A bank should offer them a secondary factor such as a one-time password or a secure token to verify who they are. For people who are high value risk, it’s not too much of a hassle to have them have extra security. And that is one thing Gemalto has always advocated with our customers for them to take a layered approach to security. Consider who’s a high value risk and then take a segmented approach to security-basic level of security, increased levels of security, or two-factored authentication because if you put the same level of security for everyone, either you are not addressing everyone sufficiently, you are not investing adequately or you are over-investing as some people do not want to use excessive technology.
With a lot other services being offered on the cloud, is this an area you are focusing on?
We are offering a lot of services over the cloud by using our data centres for things like activating payment for mobile phones from our secure data centres. A lot of our services do not need to be heavily installed in the company’s servers. Mobile payment is a very good example with TSM (Trusted Service Management) where we can for instance take a metro ticket and put it in a smartphone. We can do the same for authentication. If a company wants to authenticate the credentials of their employees, the traditional way was to put a big server on the back-end but now we have customers asking us to help do the authentication on their behalf through our servers and then give their employees the access.
Discuss a specific solution for clients over the cloud
A lot of the small service providers do not have the means to install their own servers especially so they rely on hosted services. SensorLogic, now part of Gemalto is a SaaS, runs over the cloud which customers can use to monitor several applications. An example would be small scale healthcare provider. Healthcare provision is typically much localised and niche and the providers do not have the scale to go global sometimes for regulatory reasons. In that situation, it’s very compelling for them to have a cloud service where they can monitor without the expense of putting up a server. They can use our cloud services to run their M2M monitoring and track their patients. This is a very important area because most of the time you are dealing with very sensitive data in healthcare, not just in the personal health records themselves, but also the billing aspect of it. We have to ensure that this health data is well protected. This is where Gemalto excels bringing services that are not only easy to use but they’ve also got the Gemalto security features as well.
What’s the future of secure access in the region from Gemalto’s perspective?
It’s only the beginning for digital security; this is only the beginning. Millions of people still do not have electronic IDs or passports. eGovernment services are just starting while cell phones are only becoming powerful now. The world is only moving in one direction-more digital interaction. And when you go digital, not only do you have to authenticate people well, you got to be able to protect transactions well and you also have to protect their privacy well. Security is the functional mirror image of what’s really at stake. What’s at stake is that people trust your service a lot-consumers are fickle, if they don’t trust your service, they won’t use it.
Describe Gemalto’s operations in the region
We are a leader in digital security solutions; a lot of that has to do with solutions that run over the servers and that in turn leverage secure personal devices that are there to protect the accessees. It’s different from the usual anti-virus where you are protecting the perimeter of the network. Our solutions are creating the right authenticated access for communications, payment, data access or for physical access of some kind. Basically, our solutions are for creating some kind of authenticated user access. For instance in the region we are doing Electronic Identity Cards, and the systems behind it to manage e-Government services to make sure that people can be properly authenticated and they can maintain their privacy to protect them as well. We also work with mobile service providers that cover 75% of consumers in the region. We also worked with about 30 banks in the region when they migrated to chip cards and now we work with some of the biggest banks in the region including Emirates NBD, Barclays, Standard Chartered and many more.
Discuss some of your solutions in banking and card payments
For banks, we provide them various server services and payment cards so their end customers can have peace of mind as they enjoy the payment services or e-banking and make sure that all the back-end services are well taken care as well. We have many types of solutions in mobile communication; from helping mobile providers send out marketing campaigns to telephones; to setting up mobile payments or for people to use their mobile payments; to enabling people use their smartphones to pay for transport.
We are working with Emirates NBD for their Go4it card, a multi-application card that allows customers to use in in Dubai’s metro system as we all as traditional shopping thus creating more convenience for users in having a single card to use for several different functions. For banks the key is “Top-of-Wallet”, in that whatever you can do, be it an innovative service or marketing; you do what you can do to help consumers have an affiliation with your products that help you push your products better.
What in your opinion sets Gemalto apart from the competition?
What we strive to do is provide a range of security solutions that are convenient to use. Many times security and convenience may seem incompatible with each other. Security applications sometimes means adding layers on top of one another making it very difficult for customers. So we always think of how to make things easy the end result being solutions such as Near Field Communication (NFC). It’s very easy to create consumer friction with people deciding to stop using your services. In the workplace, if you make life too difficult for employees to access the emails or the company account, they may not use it or try for ways around it.
Discuss your solutions for mobile payments and the security protocols around it
People are concerned with the security implications of putting a bank account in a smart phone that is as safe as your own bank card. Gemalto can take your bank credentials and put them in a phone, store it in a tamper-proof place, in this case a sim card and the leverage your payment account and enable you activate it, deactivate it, download it and so on. Within those secure devices, there’s not only secure OS that enable you to run the application, but the one thing that Gemalto has been doing very well is that we have been miniaturizing applications to allow access over smartphones as many of us do not have the luxury to desktops and laptops. The embedded software sitting on those devices is the one doing the authentication.
How can an organization that takes Gemalto as a vendor be able to protect itself from the rising cases of hacking and other security breaches
All organizations need to be able to protect their IT assets; make sure that the right people with the right access have the right credentials. For banks, the database that holds customer information is the most sensitive of all. So you have to be sure that you have all the right security policies and the technology framework around it. The best way is to have a multi-channel and holistic way of looking at all these aspects. It does not take just one breakthrough to compromise the whole system. There are many ways this can be done-you can protect consumers from the back end to make sure their data is not leaked; you can upgrade technology to make sure you are using the latest technology whether they are making card payments, online payments and so on.
If you have high value customers like enterprise customers like company CEOs, make sure you give them two-factor authentication for them whenever they do e-banking so that they are not just logging using their passwords which are inherently insecure. A bank should offer them a secondary factor such as a one-time password or a secure token to verify who they are. For people who are high value risk, it’s not too much of a hassle to have them have extra security. And that is one thing Gemalto has always advocated with our customers for them to take a layered approach to security. Consider who’s a high value risk and then take a segmented approach to security-basic level of security, increased levels of security, or two-factored authentication because if you put the same level of security for everyone, either you are not addressing everyone sufficiently, you are not investing adequately or you are over-investing as some people do not want to use excessive technology.
With a lot other services being offered on the cloud, is this an area you are focusing on?
We are offering a lot of services over the cloud by using our data centres for things like activating payment for mobile phones from our secure data centres. A lot of our services do not need to be heavily installed in the company’s servers. Mobile payment is a very good example with TSM (Trusted Service Management) where we can for instance take a metro ticket and put it in a smartphone. We can do the same for authentication. If a company wants to authenticate the credentials of their employees, the traditional way was to put a big server on the back-end but now we have customers asking us to help do the authentication on their behalf through our servers and then give their employees the access.
Discuss a specific solution for clients over the cloud
A lot of the small service providers do not have the means to install their own servers especially so they rely on hosted services. SensorLogic, now part of Gemalto is a SaaS, runs over the cloud which customers can use to monitor several applications. An example would be small scale healthcare provider. Healthcare provision is typically much localised and niche and the providers do not have the scale to go global sometimes for regulatory reasons. In that situation, it’s very compelling for them to have a cloud service where they can monitor without the expense of putting up a server. They can use our cloud services to run their M2M monitoring and track their patients. This is a very important area because most of the time you are dealing with very sensitive data in healthcare, not just in the personal health records themselves, but also the billing aspect of it. We have to ensure that this health data is well protected. This is where Gemalto excels bringing services that are not only easy to use but they’ve also got the Gemalto security features as well.
What’s the future of secure access in the region from Gemalto’s perspective?
It’s only the beginning for digital security; this is only the beginning. Millions of people still do not have electronic IDs or passports. eGovernment services are just starting while cell phones are only becoming powerful now. The world is only moving in one direction-more digital interaction. And when you go digital, not only do you have to authenticate people well, you got to be able to protect transactions well and you also have to protect their privacy well. Security is the functional mirror image of what’s really at stake. What’s at stake is that people trust your service a lot-consumers are fickle, if they don’t trust your service, they won’t use it.

Tech Interviews
How Unifonic Intelligence is Transforming Customer Experience in Saudi Arabia

Exclusive Interview with Ayman Hamdan, Co-founder of Unifonic

- How does E3 Customer Experience Conference showcase innovation and advance Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation goals?
The E3 Customer Experience (E3CX) Conference plays a crucial role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation by serving as a dynamic marketplace where innovation, policy, and technology converge. For Saudi organisations, the event offers the opportunity to explore real-world solutions, moving beyond abstract concepts to evaluate validated use cases and production-ready technologies. It brings together key stakeholders, including vendors, system integrators, government agencies, and enterprise buyers to collaborate on critical issues such as compliance, integration, and security.
Crucially, the conference supports Saudi Vision 2030’s emphasis on secure, locally governed digital services and a growing domestic software as a service (SaaS) ecosystem. It enables partnerships between platform providers, local cloud operators, telcos, and system integrators that address national priorities like data residency. For policymakers and regulators, E3CX provides a neutral, insight-rich platform to observe market capabilities, refine regulatory frameworks, and accelerate public-sector procurement. Sessions focus on operational readiness and business impact, including service-level agreements (SLAs), security, pilot-to-production timelines, and demonstrable return on investment (ROI).
By bringing together technical teams, buyers, and regulators under one roof, the conference shortens procurement cycles, fosters collaborative problem solving, and ensures that digital initiatives deliver measurable economic and social outcomes. Ultimately, E3CX is where Vision 2030’s digital ambitions are translated into scalable, impactful services for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Where do you see CX in MENA in three years?
Over the next three years, customer experience (CX) in the MENA region will shift from being a set of separate channels to a smooth, ongoing conversation that follows customers wherever they are. Mobile messaging and voice will become the primary means of engagement across discovery, purchase, and support. Companies that treat these conversational journeys as a key part of their revenue strategy, rather than just support tools, will be the ones that succeed. AI will move beyond small tests to full-scale use, helping personalise interactions in real time while also meeting local regulations. This will result in faster responses, fewer false positives, and more localised customer experiences.
At the same time, Arabic-first design will become essential. Businesses that focus on dialect accuracy and culturally relevant design will see better engagement and conversion. Moreover, CX success will be measured by more than just satisfaction scores; business leaders will look closely at how chat and messaging contribute to revenue, customer retention, and cost efficiency. Data residency and local regulations will also play a bigger role in how companies choose their technology partners as governments and large enterprises will prioritise vendors that can demonstrate local hosting, audit logs, and clear data governance. While automation will handle routine tasks, skilled human agents will still be needed for complex or emotional conversations. Finally, CX will increasingly become tailored by industry, with sectors like banking, aviation, and government developing domain-led playbooks for conversational automation, featuring specialised models, compliance patterns and measurement frameworks. Thus, early adopters are poised to win procurement and set an example for others to follow.
- With Vision 2030 shaping the SaaS market, how is Unifonic enabling better CX for Saudi businesses and public sector buyers?
With Vision 2030 driving the transformation of the software as a service (SaaS) market in Saudi Arabia, Unifonic is uniquely positioned to enable better customer experience (CX) for both Saudi businesses and public sector buyers. The growing demand for SaaS solutions in the MENA region is fuelled by the rise of new digital models, and Vision 2030 has further accelerated this by emphasising the need for secure, locally compliant, and scalable digital services.
Unifonic meets these demands by offering a unified conversational platform designed for production from day one. Our technology prioritises Arabic-first experiences, ensuring conversational journeys resonate across different dialects and feel natural to users. This focus on language and cultural relevance reduces friction, increases engagement, and drives higher conversion rates across customer acquisition and support workflows. For the public sector and large enterprises, we have adopted a collaborative go-to-market approach that includes joint pilot design, clear key performance indicators (KPIs), and quick iteration cycles. This enables stakeholders to validate the platform’s impact before committing to scale.
On the ecosystem front, Unifonic works closely with local cloud operators, telecommunications companies, and system integrators to integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure and accelerate deployment. We also invest in developer programs, training initiatives, and accelerator partnerships to nurture local talent, directly supporting Saudi Vision 2030’s objective of job creation.
Unifonic operates at the intersection of language, compliance, and production readiness. We empower Saudi organisations to move their conversational projects beyond experimentation into scalable, measurable services that improve both citizen and customer experiences, fully aligned with the Kingdom’s digital transformation, economic growth, and workforce development goals.
- What is Unifonic Intelligence?
Unifonic Intelligence is the AI engine that powers the Unifonic customer engagement platform. It brings together four key modules: the AI control centre for governance and oversight, AI chatbot for customer-fa cing virtual agents, agent copilot to assist human agents in real time, and a content creator with marketing recommendations to automate and personalise campaign messaging. Together, these components empower businesses to deliver faster, smarter, and more personalised customer experiences.
What sets the platform apart is its underlying AI framework, which uses a retrieval-augmented generation approach to ensure responses are grounded in the customer’s real data and up-to-date enterprise knowledge. We carefully evaluate and select leading open-source large language models (LLMs), optimising them for Arabic dialects and region-specific intents. This results in conversational AI that not only understands local nuances but also delivers factually accurate interactions. Early adopters can expect enhanced engagement, improved customer satisfaction and better business decisions through data-driven insights.
- How does the partnership with Humain and Groq enable this platform and what does it mean for customers?
Our partnership with Humain and Groq is both a technical and commercial enabler that strengthens the Unifonic AI Powered Customer Engagement Platform with unmatched performance, security, and scalability. Groq provides industry-leading inference hardware and performance engineering, focused specifically on inference execution, which is the critical backbone of live conversational systems. This means significantly faster model execution, lower latency, and scalable throughput, all of which are essential for delivering high-quality customer experiences. At the same time, Humain ensures that these capabilities are deployed locally, with full integration into regional compliance frameworks, and enterprise-grade operational controls across Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.
Groq and Humain led the development of the inference architecture, performance tuning and deployment playbooks. While Groq tuned serving layers for peak low-latency performance, Humain implemented the local hosting, networking and operational controls required by enterprise customers. This joint approach allows us to push new model variants from testing to production in days rather than months, all while maintaining full audit trails and governance that regulated enterprises require. For customers, the benefits are measurable: inference and model serving are hosted in Saudi-based environments, preserving data residency; response times are faster, improving user satisfaction and reducing drop-off; and Arabic language support is significantly enhanced because of regionally-tuned models and dialect validation.
Ultimately, this partnership gives Unifonic the infrastructure and operational foundation to deliver Arabic-first, compliant AI for enterprises across the region. At the upcoming E3 Customer Experience (E3CX) Conference 2025, we will be showcasing these engineering achievements and inviting customers to join our early adopter program to start delivering measurable business outcomes.
Cover Story
BEYOND STORAGE: LEXAR’S MIDDLE EAST EDGE

Exclusive Interview with Fissal Oubida, General Manager – Middle East, Africa & India, Lexar
In the crowded world of memory storage—where products often blur together and price wars dominate—Lexar has charted a distinct course. Just three years ago, the brand was caught in the same cycle that ensnares many technology companies: chasing competitor pricing, maintaining distance from customers, and treating partnerships as transactions. Today, Lexar stands as an industry benchmark, followed by major competitors rather than the other way around. But this only scratches the surface of what we’ve accomplished, and what it reveals about sustainable differentiation in commoditized markets through an approach that seems almost anachronistic in modern tech: genuine human relationships.
Founded in 1996 to deliver innovative, industry-leading memory solutions worldwide, Lexar has transformed and grew from complete market irrelevance to leading the photography memory card segment in the Middle East and Africa markets. From a price-following commodity brand to a standard of trust and reliability, particularly in markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where reseller ecosystems thrive on relationships and personal engagement.
Bridging the Gap
The industry often overlooks a critical layer of the value chain. Distributors may handle millions in volume, but their success depends on dozens of smaller resellers managing far less—and these vital partners rarely hear from the brands they represent.
Many memory companies remain detached from both resellers and end users. Their social media feeds resemble product catalogs, their strategies revolve around discounts, and authentic connection is missing. In such a market, trust is scarce, and loyalty fragile.
Immersing in the Market
Lexar rejected this detachment. Every two to three months, the company’s leadership visits partners door-to-door across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, markets where face-to-face trust is essential. India has also been part of this journey, but the foundation of Lexar’s approach was built in the Middle East. During these visits, products are brought directly into stores, resellers’ daily challenges are closely observed, and customer interactions with Lexar cards are carefully studied—insights that cannot be captured through reports or remote communications.
This philosophy mirrors Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, who worked shifts in his own cafés to understand the customer experience. Market realities cannot be absorbed from a boardroom; they must be witnessed firsthand, unfiltered.
Digital Authenticity
The same principle drives Lexar’s digital presence. While many technology brands publish sterile product updates, Lexar’s regional platforms highlight people, culture, and real interactions—team moments, community events, and behind-the-scenes glimpses.
Some worry this dilutes product focus. Lexar believes the opposite: its products exist to safeguard human experiences, and its marketing reflects that reality. In relationship-driven markets, human connection often builds stronger affinity than technical specifications alone.
Quality as Strategy
Authenticity is reinforced by quality. Unlike competitors that ship directly from factories to customers, Lexar tests every unit in dedicated facilities, cutting the defect rate to under 0.5%—well below industry averages ranging from 5% to 25%.
This goes beyond cost-benefit calculations. A defective product generates frustration, online complaints, and lost trust. Preventing such failures is not merely operational efficiency—it is reputation management.
Lexar’s partnership with SK Hynix exemplifies this approach. The brand is the only gaming memory company authorized to display the SK Hynix logo—a mark of quality from a supplier trusted by aerospace companies and NASA. While others obscure component sourcing, Lexar embraces transparency, showing customers exactly what they are buying.
Escaping the Price War
Perhaps the most significant change was breaking free from reactive pricing. Previously, entire teams monitored competitor rates to adjust Lexar’s pricing, fueling a cycle of cuts and shrinking margins.
Today, Lexar focuses on value and reliability. In the memory storage industry, every product consists of a chip that accounts for 80% of product cost, a controller, and housing. When other memory brands offer significantly lower prices, unfortunately these low prices often indicate refurbished or compromised components. By educating partners on this reality, conversations shift from discounts to dependability.
A Case Study: Trust at the Heart of Middle Eastern Markets
The clearest expression of Lexar’s philosophy can be seen in the Middle East’s reseller ecosystem. In Dubai’s Computer Plaza, Bur Dubai, and across the bustling technology markets of Riyadh and Jeddah, relationships define business outcomes. Transactions here are not purely about specifications or discounts—they are shaped by familiarity, presence, and trust.
Lexar’s approach is simple but uncommon: leadership spends time on the ground, carrying products into shops, sitting with resellers for hours, and listening to their challenges. These engagements transform transactional partnerships into genuine alliances, building credibility in ways no marketing campaign could replicate.
The results are tangible. Partners see Lexar not just as a supplier, but as an ally invested in their growth. Presence in these markets reshapes pricing conversations, shifts perceptions of quality, and elevates Lexar from a commodity brand to a trusted benchmark.
India later provided another proving ground, particularly in its vast wedding photography industry, where storage reliability is mission-critical. But it was in the Middle East that the model was first forged—the recognition that in relationship-driven markets, presence and trust are as powerful as technology itself.
The Lexar Way
What emerged from this transformation is the philosophy known as “The Lexar Way”—a commitment to human connection, uncompromising quality, and transparent value. This also represents a fundamental departure from traditional technology company operations and a unique culture that is not imposed from the top down; it spreads through example. As technology products become increasingly commoditized, companies must find new differentiation methods beyond specifications and pricing. Lexar’s experience suggests that authentic human relationships, transparent communication, and consistent value delivery can create sustainable competitive advantages even in highly competitive markets.
Active leadership engagement in the field—meeting both major and smaller partners while introducing tailored incentive programs—serves as a powerful example, motivating sales teams to adopt and replicate this hands-on approach. While the financial rewards may be modest, the gesture conveys respect and visibility, fostering loyalty far more enduring than discounts alone.
Building on this ethos, Lexar is actively cultivating a professional community of elite photographers, videographers, and content creators across the Middle East, providing workshops and forums where creative insights are shared, collaboration is encouraged, and the next generation of talent can thrive.
Looking Ahead
The memory industry will always be defined by chips, controllers, and specifications. But in practice, long-term leadership is built on trust.
In the Middle East, Lexar has shown that genuine relationships, transparent communication, and consistent quality can break the cycle of commoditization. These principles extend to other regions, including Africa and India, demonstrating that human-centered strategies are scalable across cultures.
As artificial intelligence, automation, and digital disruption continue to reshape industries, one truth remains constant: technology may evolve, but trust endures. The Lexar Way is not just a regional story; it is a blueprint for how technology brands everywhere can thrive in an era where connection matters as much as innovation.
Every memory card holds more than a chip—it carries a promise. For Lexar, that promise is reliability, authenticity, and commitment to the people who use its products. In a market obsessed with disruption, that may be the most powerful innovation of all.
Cover Story
ALIGNING TECHNOLOGY WITH THE FUTURE OF CONSUMER EXPERIENCE

An Exclusive Interview with Hesham Tantawi, Vice President at ASBIS Middle East
Can you tell us about the Robocafé concept and how partnerships are shaping its rollout?
Robocafé is a fully integrated ecosystem we have developed to align with today’s fast-paced lifestyle, delivering premium-quality coffee and soft beverages through advanced robotic service. Most of the units are manufactured in Poland and then brought to the region, where they are designed to provide customers with a seamless and innovative experience on the go.
We are actively building partnerships across the UAE and Saudi Arabia to introduce Robocafés in malls, educational institutes, convention & exhibition centers and other public spaces. Our vision is to make Robocafé a familiar presence in every major destination across the region. This is not just a theoretical concept, in Limassol, a relatively small city, seven Robocafés are already in operation.
Partnerships are at the very core of our strategy. We are not merely seeking customers but rather long-term collaborations built on trust, transparency, and mutual value. Every partnership involves sitting together, defining roles and responsibilities, and ensuring that both sides achieve shared success.
Could you elaborate on both the upcoming partnerships for Robocafé in the region and how similar concepts have already performed in other markets?
We are in the process of finalizing several strategic agreements in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with Robocafés soon to be introduced in high-traffic locations. Our ambition is to make Robocafé a visible and integral part of daily life, seamlessly blending into people’s routines.
This confidence stems from our proven track record in other markets. For example, in Limassol, a relatively small city, seven Robocafés are already operational and thriving. Locally, we launched a successful collaboration with IKEA at Festival Mall last year, which we are continuing in the upcoming winter season. Beyond IKEA, we are actively engaging with other leading partners to further expand our footprint.
How do you approach partnerships in mature markets versus emerging markets like the GCC?
Our philosophy remains consistent: we believe in strong, mutually beneficial partnerships. Whether in a mature market or an emerging one, our focus is on creating long-term relationships rather than transactional exchanges. This means working closely with partners, defining clear responsibilities, and ensuring that each party gains substantial value. It is a philosophy that transforms business relationships into genuine growth engines.
You also mentioned upcoming travels to Nigeria. What’s the focus there?
ASBIS is proud to participate in GITEX Nigeria 2025, marking a significant milestone as this event makes its debut in the region. The insights gained from GITEX Nigeria 2025 highlight a clear shift in focus and strategic priorities for the African tech landscape. We are actively exploring emerging markets across Africa, starting with Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Ghana. While we already have strong partnerships in place, our goal is to strengthen these relationships and forge new ones. These countries represent rapidly growing economies with vibrant consumer bases, offering immense untapped potential to introduce our innovative solutions and expand our presence.
ASBIS is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, reaffirming its commitment to customers and partners across North Africa, West Africa, and Central Africa (WECA), while amplifying its footprint and influence in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Let’s turn to gaming. It has become one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide, especially in this region. How is ASBIS approaching this sector?
Gaming is one of the most dynamic and promising verticals for us. We are focusing on developing customized gaming assembly PCs and expanding our vendor portfolio with specialized manufacturers to cover the full spectrum of gaming needs. As a distributor of components such as CPUs, hard drives, cases, and accessories, ASBIS is uniquely positioned to provide nearly 90% of what a gaming store requires under one roof.
We are also witnessing exponential growth in advanced simulators, where setups can cost between $100,000 and $150,000, complete with rigs, chairs, simulation and wheels. The surge in GPU demand has enabled hyper-realistic graphics and immersive experiences that were unimaginable a few years ago.
Importantly, gaming is not limited to the luxury segment. Entry-level PCs can start at around $500, while professional gamers may invest thousands of dollars in their setups. This diversity allows the market to cater to enthusiasts across all budgets.
Of course, supply chain challenges remain, as high demand and long lead times can cause product shortages. To mitigate this, ASBIS invests heavily in inventory, ensuring timely availability and consistency across markets. This commitment has positioned us as one of the most reliable suppliers in the region’s gaming ecosystem.
How does retail fit into your strategy, and how do you support your partners in this space?
Retail plays a critical role, particularly in gaming, where customers often want hands-on product experiences before making a purchase. We have seen retailers evolve significantly, they no longer focus solely on space but are increasingly invested in actual sales performance.
Our responsibility goes beyond supplying products. We aim to help retailers move stock efficiently, because when sales rotate quickly, everyone benefits. To support this, ASBIS has developed a dedicated training department, the only distributor in the region to do so. We provide training not only to our own teams but also to merchandisers, promoters, and even our partners’ sales staff.
A single well-trained sales manager can outperform ten untrained individuals, and this principle has become a cornerstone of our retail approach. This investment in human capital is what sets us apart as a value-driven distributor.
Beyond gaming and retail, ASBIS also represents premium lifestyle brands. Could you share more about this side of the business?
We work with globally prestigious brands such as Bang & Olufsen, widely regarded as the Dior or Louis Vuitton of the audio industry. Their offerings are synonymous with exclusivity, luxury, and design excellence.
Interestingly, we see overlap between high-end lifestyle consumers and gamers. Someone who invests thousands of dollars in elite audio equipment may also be inclined to purchase a high-performance racing simulator. This creates a unique niche where lifestyle luxury and gaming innovation converge, a space ASBIS is actively cultivating.
Finally, how do you see the channel market evolving in the GCC?
The channel market has matured considerably in recent years. Following a period of consolidation, the region has now entered what I like to call the “Years of Alignment.” Companies are increasingly aligning their strategies to grow together, creating a much more stable ecosystem.
Stability always breeds growth. With this structural clarity, we anticipate the GCC market will continue to expand steadily. For ASBIS, this means being at the forefront of an ecosystem that is not only growing but also becoming more resilient and future-ready.
-
Tech News1 year ago
Denodo Bolsters Executive Team by Hiring Christophe Culine as its Chief Revenue Officer
-
VAR6 months ago
Microsoft Launches New Surface Copilot+ PCs for Business
-
Tech Interviews2 years ago
Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape in Hybrid Work Environments
-
Tech News3 months ago
Nothing Launches flagship Nothing Phone (3) and Headphone (1) in theme with the Iconic Museum of the Future in Dubai
-
Tech News2 years ago
Brighton College Abu Dhabi and Brighton College Al Ain Donate 954 IT Devices in Support of ‘Donate Your Own Device’ Campaign
-
Editorial10 months ago
Celebrating UAE National Day: A Legacy of Leadership and Technological Innovation
-
VAR1 year ago
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 vs Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Clash Of The Folding Phenoms
-
Cover Story7 months ago
Unifonic Leading the Future of AI-Driven Customer Engagement