Apple's chief executive Tim Cook continued his tour of the UAE with a visit to Etisalat's headquarters to meet with Ahmad Julfar, chief executive of Etisalat Group.
The two executives discussed ways to bolster Apple’s presence in the region.
Apple has been losing market share to Samsung, whose Galaxy range of smartphones are the most popular with consumers in the UAE. Samsung handsets account for more than 16 per cent of the UAE's total mobile market share, while Apple lags behind with 7.8 per cent according to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.
By strengthening its relationship with Etisalat, Apple can gain better access to the telecom providers 15 markets which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Nigeria.
“We are all about making great products that people don’t know they need today but when they have them, they can’t live without,” said Mr Cook. “We would like to bring our passion tot he UAE, Saudi Arabia and Africa.”
thamid@thenational.ae
