Asia Tech Wire (Aug 16) -- Smartphone shipments in the Middle East (excluding Turkey) reached 11.5 million units in the second quarter of 2024, up 20% year-on-year, according to a new report from Canalys.

This growth is mainly due to the region's economic stability and government support, contributing to the growth of consumer demand in its smartphone market.

Samsung and Apple shipments in the region declined in the second quarter, but are expected to grow in the second half of the year, said Manish Pravinkumar, senior analyst at Canalys.

In the second quarter, South Korea's Samsung maintained its lead in the Middle East with a 28% market share despite a 5% drop in shipments, driven by its mid-range Galaxy A series and high-end Galaxy S24.

Meanwhile, Apple held a 10% market share, with the iPhone 13 and 14 meeting demand for iOS in the region. And the analyst expects demand for the upcoming iPhones from the affluent population in the Middle East to increase in the second half of the year.

China's Xiaomi jumped to second place in shipments with a 70% growth rate, thanks to competitively priced models such as the Redmi A3, 13C and 13 4G.

However, Xiaomi's wholesale average selling price (ASP) declined by 14% as it focused on the sub-$200 market.

China's Transsion (688036.SH) came in third with aggressive pricing and appeal to the mass market, realizing a 3% growth.

Transsion got nearly 49% of its sales from its Infinix brand, while TECNO's regional deal with Lulu Hypermarkets has yet to drive shipments but will help drive shipment growth for the brand in Saudi Arabia, which has a large expatriate population, Canalys noted in the report.

Xiaomi's Chinese counterpart, Honor, achieved 67% growth in shipments by increasing its retail presence in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.