Opportunities and expectations in the Middle East cable market

Waiting for the 3rd Advanced Cable Middle East 2017 powered by Integer Research (7-8 March in Dubai), the organization provided some interesting industry insights about the global and Middle East wire and cable market.
Three key conference speakers were asked about their opinions and expectations: Philip Radbourne, head of the Wire and Cable research team at Integer Research Ltd., Jan Tezcanli, Regional Head of Fibre Business for Ericsson, and Louisa Winnik, Senior Analyst at Integer.

What market developments do you expect in general for the Global and then Middle East cable market in 2017?
P. Radbourne: “It certainly looks as if 2017 is the year that might have been. We can see from the data globally, that cable markets and demand around the world (with the notable exceptions of Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Russia and Nigeria) were all showing stronger signs.”
J. Tezcanli: “In Middle East, we expect to see continued growth in the 4G & FTTX area and also some smart city fiber projects to kick off in advanced markets like UAE and Qatar.”
L. Winnik: “Low oil prices are leading companies in the Middle East to diversify where they can. We expect to see more business outside the core oil and construction industries.”

What are the key opportunities and challenges faced by the Middle East cable market?
P. Radbourne: “There is still political instability in the region – Iraq, Syria, Yemen. The thawing of the relations with Iran is also likely to be tested with the new US president through 2017 and 2018. In Saudi Arabia, specifically, lower oil prices, and a new King have meant that some of the large projects that had been planned have been delayed. We have seen volatile market conditions, with the Saudi non-oil business reaching a record low in October 2016, and now with an infusion of government money, the non-oil economy has grown at its fastest rate in 17 months. This volatility is a challenge for cable companies.”
J. Tezcanli: “One of the challenges faced by the Middle East cable market is of course the financial constraints as a result of the low oil price, and also the conflicts raging in parts of the region.”
L. Winnik: “It will be a challenge for the region to adjust to the “new normal” of low oil prices. However, this region still has great potential, not least being close to emerging markets in North and East Africa."

More insights are available at this link >> https://www.integer-research.com/download/27049


For more information about Integer Research’s Advanced Cable Middle East 2017 visit https://www.integer-research.com/conferences/acme-2017/