As European and US Blackberry sales plunge, RIM is going for other territories-- specifically MEA, as it prepares to open a flagship BlackBerry store amongst the glitzy malls of Dubai.
The Dubai store will measure up to 140 square metres and will be the first of series of stores across the Middle East, Bloomberg reports. RIM is still doing good business in the M. East, and plans to open stores in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.
Customising the M. Eastern BlackBerry stores is mobile phone distributor Axiom.
RIM is also looking at the African market-- Bloomberg says the company plans to open flagship stores in Nairobi, Kenya, Lagos and Nigeria.
According to IDC Q4 2011 BlackBerry shipments in MEA total 2.29 million, doubling from the same period in 2011. This contrast with Europe and the US, where customers are replacing BlackBerries with iPhones or Androids.
Go RIM Plans M. Eastern Retail Push With Dubai Store (Bloomberg)
