What key milestones have shaped Redington’s journey?
While I’ve been in my current role for just a year and a half, I’ve been associated with Redington for a decade as a director on the board. Even before that, I had the opportunity to work closely with Redington in a professional capacity. So, I’ve witnessed the company’s growth over the last 25 years. It’s been an amazing journey.
There are four key dimensions that have shaped our growth. The first one is category expansion. We started with simple printers and PCs and then moved into value categories like servers and storage. We ventured into smartphones, and now we’re playing in cloud and AI. Each of these transitions marked important inflection points. And as we evolved, we picked up major brands in each category – these partnerships have stood the test of time and supported us throughout.
Next came geographic expansion – we expanded one step at a time, starting with the UAE, then Saudi Arabia, followed by African countries and the rest of the GCC.
The third one is our partner network. We’ve been fortunate to have long-standing relationships with channel partners and resellers, which helped us build a solid base of resellers globally and regionally.
The last is scalability. Today, we’re among the top 10 global distributors, a $12 billion company. It’s a blessing and certainly something we don’t take for granted.
How has Redington built lasting trust, and what’s next on the transformation front?
The foundation of our trust lies in how we do business – agile, responsive, and grounded in integrity. We don’t overpromise, and when we fall short, we own it. Our relationships with our brand partners are built on constant dialogue. Sometimes we exceed expectations, sometimes we don’t – but we always go back, reflect, rebuild, and come back stronger. It’s this consistency and authenticity that truly earns trust.
Unlike many global distributors, we go beyond surface-level presence – we truly localise. We establish entities, build on-ground teams, and operate as if we’re part of the local fabric. At the same time, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of compliance. We don’t cut corners, and we don’t compromise on integrity. That commitment isn’t just a policy – it’s a core value that defines how we do business.
Looking ahead, we are going deeper with in-country strategies. We’ll focus on trends specific to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, GCC, and Africa. On the solutions side, we are doubling down on software –cloud hyperscalers, security and SaaS. That’s a high-growth area. This shift also means we will be more platform-led and digital, though still channel-focused. Hardware remains important –we’re refining routes to market and improving efficiency there as well. There’s huge potential across the region.
Redington is investing SAR 2 billion in Saudi Arabia. How does this align with your broader Middle East growth strategy?
Yes, what we announced is a multi-year investment plan. It covers several areas – growing our presence in Saudi Arabia, expanding our warehousing capabilities, and ramping up our mid-market focus, especially around cloud and AI. A big part of this decision was influenced by the Saudi government’s large-scale investments and the fact that many technology companies are setting up their regional HQs there. Our goal was to establish ourselves as a key player, strategically positioned, clearly differentiated, and ready to lead.
But our focus isn’t limited to Saudi Arabia. In the UAE, we see huge potential due to government and corporate investments in AI and cloud. We’re even exploring the possibility of setting up an AI Centre of Excellence in Dubai.
In the broader GCC and Levant, we’re looking to strengthen our presence, including markets we currently play in only partially. Africa continues to be promising – we’re evaluating alternate business models that we haven’t tried before. As a listed company, we always consider ROI, so it’s about balancing risk with return. But I’d say the GCC, Levant, and Africa are the geographies with the most potential within the next 10 years.
What are the key pillars that will shape Redington’s journey over the next decade and beyond?
I believe Everything-as-a-Service and AI are going to be defining the future. Software-as-a-Service will be a huge play for our recently formed business unit, Software Solutions Group, and AI will touch every part of our business.
The PC market is at an inflection point. With more AI PCs coming in, we expect better refresh cycles and faster adoption. PC penetration is still very low in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where people mostly use entry-level smartphones. But over the next decade, we could see affordable PCs gaining ground, especially for content creation.
Smartphones will continue to evolve rapidly with the integration of AI, and I anticipate strong growth in high-end smartphone adoption – especially in markets like Nigeria. On the infrastructure front, servers and storage are emerging as critical focus areas, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia fast becoming regional data centre hubs. We’re closely aligned with this trend and are positioning ourselves to support and scale with that momentum
If I had to call out one area that’s likely to grow the fastest – it’s software solutions. This is going to lead the charge, followed by hardware, smartphones, and PCs. All of them will play a role in shaping our next phase.
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