(MENAFN - Arab News) South Korea's leading electronics giant is making waves on the Bosporus with the launch of Samsung Forum 2012 in this historic Turkish city. Istanbul Deputy Gov. Kazim Tekin inaugurated the forum at the Halic Congress Center.
Samsung is showcasing a diverse array of its many cutting-edge products.
South Korean Ambassador to Turkey Lee Sangkyu described the launching of new Samsung products at the Turkish forum as significant. "This forum not only showcases how new technology from Samsung is reshaping our world, but also indicates the direction of business cooperation between South Korea and Turkey," he said.
"Thanks to the strategic partnership between our two nations, trade, cultural and tourism ties will benefit greatly from close political and military ties," he said. "The volume of the two-way trade between our countries reached 5.9 billion," said Sangkyu.
About the Samsung Forum 2012, which runs until March 22, Sangkyu said: "We live in a world of endless competition ... The competition is particularly fierce among technology companies ... We see frequently how one technology leader winks for one moment and ignores the demands of the customers, and the next moment it is left far behind ... It is then taken over by its competitor."
Kyung Tae Bae, Samsung president for the Middle East & North Africa, said Samsung continues to set the bar in innovation worldwide, combining groundbreaking features with unrivaled performance and design to create products that match and anticipate consumers' needs and desires. Pushing the boundaries of content, design, connectivity and control, Samsung's new products and services continue to help consumers live a smarter connected life.
In 2011, Samsung Electronics achieved sales of 143 billion. Despite the turbulent times, in the Middle East and North Africa alone the company achieved a growth of 44 percent.
Samsung also launched a worldwide CSR platform. Samsung Hope for Children is supporting this initiative in 12 countries within the MENA region.
Park Jae Cheon, general manager, Samsung, Saudi Arabia, told Arab News that Saudi Arabia is one of the largest and leading countries in the GCC for Samsung. "Saudi Arabia is one of the strategic countries in MENA area for Samsung," he said, adding that dealers and partners have been invited to the forum to introduce Samsung's new product range for 2012. "We have lined up various products for the Saudi market and at the end of this month we would be launching new 'Eco Bubble' washing machine in Saudi Arabia. In May, new LED TV and GALAXY Beam will be introduced in the Saudi market," he said.
About GALAXY Beam, Jungsheum Shin, business manager of mobile phones, Samsung, Saudi Arabia, said: "It turns your home instantly into a movie theater, a sports stadium or a game center."
He said Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest and most important markets for Samsung products. Two recently launched Samsung smartphones - GALAXY Note and GALAXY S2 - are getting a good response from the market in Saudi Arabia," he said.
Osama Hamdan, senior manager, mobile division, Samsung Electronics MENA, said the company is heading for its seventh consecutive year as the global TV market leader. "Samsung's TV and AV strategy is built on three pillars of revolutionizing features available throughout its 2012 line: Smart Interaction, Smart Content, and Smart Evolution."
Samsung also introduced the second generation of the Samsung Notebook Series 9, which demonstrates Samsung's advanced innovative craftsmanship in the premium notebook market.
