Middle East & Africa Personal Computing Devices Market Continues to Struggle

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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.