Newly released data from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker shows that shipments of mobile phones to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region declined 0.8% quarter on quarter (QoQ) in quarter one (Q1) of 2022 to total 6.10 million units. Apple faced shortages stemming from delayed shipments, which impeded the vendor’s overall unit and value growth during the quarter, according to the research group.
Smartphone shipments were up 0.4% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to 5.47 million units, while feature phone shipments decline 9.8% over the same period to 0.63 million units, according to IDC. In terms of value, the GCC smartphone market was worth US$2.09 billion in quarter four of 2021, a decrease of 4.5% QoQ, while the feature phone market totaled $11.16 million, down 25.9%.
Smartphone shipments to Saudi Arabia declined 4.9% QoQ in Q1 2022, although the Kingdom still accounted for 53.3% of all smartphone shipments to the GCC. The UAE, the region’s second-largest market, saw shipments increase 11.2% QoQ for 24.9% share.
Samsung led the GCC smartphone market in terms of shipments in Q1 2022 with 47.5% share. The vendor posted 6.9% QoQ growth in shipments as supply improved, especially for its S-series devices. Second-place Apple, with 15.4% share, saw shipments decline 18.2% QoQ, with channel partners reporting supply constraints and delays in shipments.
Rounding out the top three, Xiaomi accounted for 14.9% of the GCC smartphone market in Q1 2022, with its expanding portfolio of midrange to high-end devices driving a 9.3% QoQ increase in shipments to the region.
