Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services, ended its 2015 fiscal year with Dh1.845 billion ($502.2 million) in consolidated sales across 14 markets in the Middle East, registering a healthy growth of 12 per cent over the previous year.

In total, the company now employs 160 associates in the region.

Volker Bischoff, general manager and vice president, Robert Bosch Middle East, said: “The Middle East continues to be a key market for Bosch, although the current geopolitical situation and low oil price have a challenging impact on the economic development.”

“We are confident, however, that the momentum created by mega-events like the Dubai Expo 2020, and the World Cup in Qatar 2022 will contribute to positive business development and a continued demand for our products and services,” he said.

The company is confident that its innovations, especially for smart home and smart cities, connected and automated mobility as well as industry 4.0 will secure Bosch’s long term viability both globally and regionally.

The Bosch business increased considerably across all business sectors prominently active in the Middle East region. In particular, the development of the Industrial Technology business sector (packaging technology and drive and control technology) was positive with significant double digit growth. The consumer goods business sector (power tools and household appliances) also developed well as did the security systems division as part of the energy and building technology sector.

Bosch security systems such as video monitoring technology, video over IP products, fire detection and evacuation and public address systems are used in various industries in different locations, including banks, city centres, industrial estates, train stations, and airports.

The company’s involvement in a number of landmark projects across the region has contributed to its positive development. For example in the UAE, Bosch Security Systems delivered tailored solutions to Etisalat, the UAE’s leading telecommunications provider in 2015. This included an all-new fire protection system which has been retrofitted into the existing cabling structure, installed with 800 smoke and heat detectors throughout the office tower and adjoining parking buildings.

In Saudi Arabia, Bosch has assisted the OIC-Jeddah (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) with their conferencing and interpretation requirements. As many as 22 DCN multimedia devices were installed, integrated with Bosch HD cameras and DSN-IDESK. The digital system provides a user-friendly conference system that combines audio, video, meeting content and touch-screen technology. The conference devices allow participants to share documents, retrieve and display presentations, access interpretation languages and also access the internet.

Additionally, voices sound completely natural thanks to the innovative high-directive technology in the unobtrusive microphone and the built-in two-way loudspeaker system.

DCN multimedia is also the world’s first IP-based conference system incorporating Omneo media networking architecture. This enables the entire system to be operated via standardised Ethernet networks, guaranteeing flexibility and cost-effective installation and maintenance. In addition, DCN multimedia provides secure encryption in accordance with internationally recognised standards.

Following a record year in 2015, the group expects worldwide sales to grow within an exchange rate-adjusted range of 3 to 5 per cent in 2016.

 Speaking at the company’s annual press conference in Germany, Bosch CEO Volkmar Denner said: “We plan to grow not only with innovative products, but also with innovative services.” – TradeArabia News Service