Please discuss company’s distribution portfolio in terms of brands and product distributed?
ABM is an IT and office automation supplier to the Saudi market. We supply, support and maintain equipment through six branches in the Kingdom by offering our wide range of solutions for telecommunications and security, which include international brands of closed-circuit television (CCTV), access control, fire alarm detection, physical security and X-ray scanning solutions. Fully owned by the Olayan Group, ABM is among the Group’s more than 50 companies that operate in the Saudi market.
Which are the markets you address as a distributor? Is it just KSA or do you also cover adjacent markets such as Bahrain?
ABM is a Saudi company and we operate exclusively in the Kingdom.
How is KSA IT market impacted at all by the global slowdown?
The global economic crisis has a relatively lesser impact on the Saudi IT market compared to the rest of the region. With the SMB, retail and government sectors remaining committed to IT upgrading and other related activities, we are optimistic that the local demand will continue to be strong in the coming years.
Which are the verticals that are continuing to invest in IT?
The government and education sectors have been and continue to be very consistent in their IT investments. However, other verticals including banking and financial sectors as well as multinational companies have become noticeably cautious of any new investments.
What is the strength of your reseller network in terms of numbers, profiles etc?
We have ABM Distribution, a dedicated division that specialises in channel and distribution. We also have more than 400 resellers in our network, including the majority of the most renowned retailers in the KSA.
What are your infrastructural investments such as number of warehouses, support offices etc in the Kingdom?
We operate, import and distribute globally renowned brands and products through our branches across the Kingdom, specifically in Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Hufuf, Jubail and Abha. We also maintain a 5000-square meter central warehouse in Riyadh and two smaller ones in Jeddah and Khobar.
You have recently signed on as Brother’s distributor? Is this on an exclusive basis for the Kingdom? How does this addition help you broaden your range?
We have signed a non-exclusive corporate agent agreement with Brother, who has identified our capabilities, market know-how and financial strength to effectively handle corporate customers, as well as bid for and manage large projects and tenders. Brother products complement our existing product portfolio, which consists of a large range of various mid- to upper-segment office automation products. We are confident that we will be able to significantly contribute to Brother’s sales and service revenues, and in turn leverage the market strength of the brand to drive our own business.
Do you also already work with any other printer manufacturer?
At the moment, the sole printer manufacturer we are working with is Brother.
Would you describe yourself as a Value added distributor? Please elaborate if so about the service you provide?
We proudly sell, service and maintain our equipment through more than 100 technicians and engineers deployed in our service centers, which cover all major cities across the Kingdom.
AMB Olayan, one of the leading names in the Office Automation and IT distribution markets in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is in a mood for consolidation.
