Tech Interviews
WD’S AFRICAN PITCH

By Editor
WD is a leader in storage, success Khwaja Saifuddin, Senior Sales Dir., MEA & South Asia hopes can be replicated in E. Africa
You operate in numerous markets in the region. Do you have a different approach for Africa or are you going in with your tried and tested strategy
WD builds strong, mutually beneficial relationships with partners in every region it operates in to address the market, and we are employing the same strategy in Africa. This strategy is one that has proven itself time and again, so there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel in this case. To boost our presence in Africa we last year appointed Mitsumi Distribution to be a focused partner (in addition to our existing distribution partners). We also have staff on the ground in the region that monitor the market and interact with partners on a day-to-day basis. We will continue to focus on expanding our channel breadth and therefore our reach in Africa, so that we can take full advantage of the business opportunity Africa presents.
Discuss the value that you hope to take to Africa in light of increased competition from major vendors in the continent
The African market is one that has been traditionally underserved while the demand for IT products such as our range of storage products and solutions is healthy, and on an upward growth trajectory. It’s therefore the right time to put additional emphasis on business in the region as sustainable long term business is a definite possibility. Presently WD is focusing its attention on the North, Central, East and West African markets which includes countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda etc. These markets have a healthy demand for IT products and solutions and, as they have been underserved markets in the past, they present a great opportunity for long term business. WD has a wide range of products that target the consumer, SMB and enterprise segments. In North Africa we’ve had success shifting products in each of these segments, whereas in the West and Central African region, we’ve been focusing on our component products i.e. internal drives such as our WD Blue, Green, Red and Black products. With the Eastern region we’ve been pushing our range of branded products, which includes the My Passport, My Book and WD Sentinel small business storage server.
Despite enhanced efforts from authorities in Africa, the continent still faces a large counterfeit and gray market. How do you hope to overcome this challenge?
One of the biggest challenges with African markets is the availability of products that are gray or parallel imports. As these products have entered these markets illegally they are not covered by our usual support systems and customer care. This presents a real problem because customers are, in most cases, completely unaware that they are buying gray or parallel products, so if something goes wrong and they need support, they will have a tough time which in turn harms their perception of the brand. To tackle this issue we have been focusing on educating channel players on the dangers of selling gray or parallel import products and the benefits of going through the right channels. As part of this we are enrolling channel players into our myWD Partner Program, which offers benefits such as product training, special offers on products, cash incentives and much more. Simultaneously we are also focusing on improving our channel breadth and reach as it will help us to better address these markets with products that are of interest to customers.
Are there popular product lines among your portfolio across the board or is each market different?
Each country in Africa has unique demands and requirements; in countries in the East for example we’ve seen strong demand for our branded products, which includes external hard drives such as the WD My Passport and WD My Book. Moving to countries in the central region we’ve experienced strong demand for our internal hard drives which includes the WD Blue, Green, Red and Black drives.
Discuss your current resale and distribution channels in the region
WD has a network of partners in Africa ranging from distributors to resellers to retailers. As part of our focus on Africa we have been working on growing our channel breadth and reach by adding new partners. We follow this up by supporting them with in-depth product and concept training, which enables them to effectively address the market. If a partner is unable to attend our on-ground training sessions or wants to train new staff, they also have the option of undergoing online training via our WD University training tool (www.wduniversity.com). The myWD partner program also offers product training as a benefit and partners also have the option of interacting directly with WD staff via phone or e-mail. While we presently have a healthy number of partners that enables us to address the North, Central, East and West African markets, we are always on the lookout for additional partners with who we can build long term mutually beneficial relationships.
What are you looking forward to in terms of growth moving forward?
WD’s outlook on Africa in 2013 is positive and we look forward to capitalizing on the opportunities the market presents. The market has demonstrated a healthy appetite for IT products in recent times and is projected to grow further in the future. The market, in its current state, does have a few challenges that need to be overcome but we believe the end result will be well worth the effort.
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.
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