Samsung Electronics has said it sold 45.7 million handsets for the fifth consecutive quarter, fuelled by strong demand in the Middle East.

The company said the figure is 22 per cent higher than the same period in the previous year.

"Emerging markets like the Middle East continued to drive growth this first half,’ said Sandeep Saihgal, general manager, hand held phones, Samsung Gulf Electronics.

’The total global unit sales for the first half of 2008 reached 92 million units, which are an increase of more than 20 percent year-on-year and our eighth consecutive quarter of shipment growth.’

As the No 2 player in the market, Samsung is expecting strong growth in Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom’s telecom regulator estimates the number of mobile users have risen from just 2.5 million five years ago to 20 million today.

In the coming five years mobile penetration rates in the kingdom are expected to catch up with the UAE and Qatar and rise to well over 100 per cent.

’Saudi Arabia is currently one of our most important markets for smart phones because of its excellent growth potential and will be significantly affected by the sustained development of the industry’s ICT sector, which accounts for 40 per cent of an estimated Dh18 billion ($4.9 billion) Gulf market.

’The liberalisation of Saudi’s telecommunications sector is also expected to further boost demand for IT-intensive mobile phones,’ said Saihgal.

Samsung expects the yet to be launched Samsung Omnia - which allows users to switch seamlessly between Microsoft Outlook email and productivity applications that replicate the look and feel of their PC, with a stroke of their finger – to be one of the most popular products in the region.

Based on the most up to date Windows Mobile 6.1 professional operating system, Samsung Omnia gives users a mobile extension to their PC experience, with access to MS Office documents such as PowerPoint, Excel and Word.

Users can also send and receive email and manage their appointments in Outlook while on the go.

For high growth markets like Egypt, Syria and Jordan Samsung has seen strong sales with the Samsung J700 and the reveal of Didier Drogba, Chelsea Football Club player, as the phone’s brand ambassador.

With a built in 1.3 mega pixel digital camera the Samsung J700 blends sleek styling with essential features, creating a high-class handset with a practical price.

’The Egyptian market is a rapidly growing one by far; especially with the vital role Egyptian operators are playing.

’We see that the operators continue to upgrade and launch new advanced services that Samsung is continuously meeting with the launch of highly advanced mobile phones that meet the needs of operators and consumer alike.’ - TradeArabia News Service