Middle East & Africa Personal Computing Devices Market Continues to Struggle
June 14, 2019 | IDCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) personal computing devices (PCD) market, which is made up of desktops, notebooks, workstations, and tablets, declined 13.4% year on year in Q1 2019, according to the latest insights from International Data Corporation (IDC). The global technology research and consulting firm's Quarterly PCD Tracker shows that shipments fell to a new low of around 4.9 million units for the three-month period, the lowest since Q3 2010.
"The biggest declines were seen in the ‘Rest of Middle East’ sub-region, which includes Iran among a number of other countries," says Fouad Charakla, IDC's senior research manager for client devices in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. "Tightening U.S. sanctions continue to make it hard for companies based outside Iran to deal with companies located inside the country, especially when it comes to sending or receiving payments. This has had a severe negative impact on PCD supply in the country."
"Another significant decline was seen in Turkey, where the Turkish Lira remains weak against the U.S. dollar. This means that the cost of most imported goods, including personal computing devices, remains high, causing demand to suffer. The region's other key markets – the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa – also experienced significant year-on-year declines annually."
The top three vendors in the MEA PC market maintained their respective positions, with each of them gaining share on the corresponding quarter of 2018.
Owing to the better-than-expected outcome of Q1 2019, combined with a slightly better outlook for the upcoming period, IDC has revised its forecast upwards. However, the market is still expected to continue declining at a considerable pace.
Turkey and Iran will continue to suffer under the weight of the previously mentioned challenges, with the situation in Iran not expected to recover any time soon. The performance of the Turkish PC market is expected to stabilize by the second half of the year, reflecting some year-on-year growth for that period.
"With the slow but continuing shift of usage from notebooks and especially tablets to smartphones, the consumer segment will be the most affected and is set to continue declining throughout the forecast period," says Charakla. "However, in contrast to this decline in consumer demand, commercial PCD shipments into the region are actually expected to grow annually, with demand forecast to remain steady in most countries across the region for Q2 2019. Several large corporate deals in the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Ethiopia, and Kenya will act as the market's drivers."
About IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company.
IDC in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa
For the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa region, IDC retains a coordinated network of offices in Riyadh, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, Cairo, and Istanbul, with a regional center in Dubai. Our coverage couples local insight with an international perspective to provide a comprehensive understanding of markets in these dynamic regions. Our market intelligence services are unparalleled in depth, consistency, scope, and accuracy. IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey currently fields over 130 analysts, consultants, and conference associates across the region.
Suggested Items
Keynote Preview: Reshaping our Engagement With the World
03/28/2024 | Shawn DuBravac, IPCThe widespread integration of AI across various sectors is broadening its impact, from revolutionizing healthcare with Smart solutions to transforming homes into intuitive spaces, highlighting its crucial role in boosting efficiency and addressing complex challenges. In healthcare, we're witnessing a trend toward personalized care with AI-driven devices like intelligent pillows to mitigate snoring, sophisticated sleep monitors, and innovative patient monitoring systems.
Indium Corporation to Present, Exhibit at EPP InnovationsFORUM
03/28/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation is set to present and exhibit at EPP InnovationsFORUM, one of Europe’s premier single-day electronics manufacturing forums, on April 17 in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany. Topic areas for 2024 will include AI, automation, sustainability, and quality.
Accenture Invests in Sanctuary AI to Bring AI-Powered, Humanoid Robotics to Work Alongside Humans
03/27/2024 | BUSINESS WIREAccenture has made a strategic investment, through Accenture Ventures, in Sanctuary AI, a developer of humanoid general-purpose robots that are powered by AI and can perform a wide variety of work tasks quickly, safely and effectively.
AT&S Well Prepared to Benefit from AI Boom
03/26/2024 | AT&SThe rapid progress in the development of artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize all areas of daily life in the coming years. In order to operate such AI systems, an enormous amount of computing power is required, which is provided by a vast network of data centres.
The IMAPS Show: A Conversation with John Andresakis
03/26/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineOn the last day of the IMAPS Device Packaging Conference, Marcy LaRont sat down with industry veteran John Andresakis of Quantic Ohmega, who attended the conference this week. Not his first time at this event, he talked about the conference, advanced technology, and trying to get the word out about the advanced packaging substrates solution Quantic is offering.