Air-conditioning market in Saudi Arabia: bright outlook

Jameel A. Al Molhem, Managing Director of Shaker Group talks about the air-conditioning market in Saudi Arabia.

At the same time, you are a leader in after-sales service. While your products can be a bit more expensive, you do get the warranty, the services, etc. included.

Exactly. Given the premium products that we supply to the market,– those being chiefly the AC products and the products from Maytag, Midea, Bissel, Indesit and Ariston, which are all global brands with world class products in and of themselves– for Shaker, our part is to provide that customer commitment through our widespread relationship with our trade partners, and also to offer superior after-sales service.

We have more than 600 employees on staff in the organization who support our products at 23 locations in the Kingdom. This is an unparalleled network which differentiates Shaker. Our after-sales service is unquestionably among the best in the Kingdom. It is a great combination and gives our customers peace of mind when making their purchases.

For our LG ACs, we have a dominant position in the residential AC market. The Group has around 27% of the market share, and we provide product value, technology, and a long product lifetime, along with the cost of servicing that product over its lifetime.

In the appliance business, we are very proud of our relationship with Whirlpool and also with Midea from China, another tier one provider. We have also complemented that line by acquiring a company which has the Bissel brand of floor care and vacuum cleaners; they have been an industry leader in North America since the 1900s. Bringing all of these brands together, that is, having a total package when it comes to ACs and appliances, is what we are striving for– it is very important to us.

We continue to add brands to our portfolio and to improve our product features. Since the company provides sales mainly through the trade network, we are looking at our showroom now with a different concept: it is becoming more experiential. Our new showroom in Jeddah will open in first quarter 2016, and we are changing the way we display our products so that you walk in like you would walk into a home; you go into the kitchen and you can look, see, and feel all of the appliances live, in action. The same goes for the ACs and the air filters.

We also want to give you a sense of what is coming next, so the appliances are always there but they are going to change with the internet. The IOT (Internet of Things) is quickly making its way to appliances and AC. Very soon, you will see all of your home devices in communication with each other, providing you with notifications. You will be controlling them remotely. This is something that we and our partners are working on bringing to the market.