Samsung Electronics has been found to have ranked first in smartphone shipments in the Middle East market, excluding Turkey, in the first quarter of this year.
On the 21st, market research firm Canalys stated that Samsung Electronics shipped 3.7 million units to the Middle East smartphone market in the first quarter of this year, achieving a market share of 32%. This is about twice the shipments of the second-place Transsion, which has a 16% market share.
Samsung Electronics' market share has increased by 7 percentage points compared to the first quarter of last year, solidifying its position as the leader in the Middle East market. The second-place Transsion saw its market share decrease by 6 percentage points during the same period. The popularity of the Galaxy S25 series, especially the Ultra model, and the mid-range Galaxy A series are believed to have contributed to the increase in shipments. Following Samsung Electronics and Transsion, the market shares are Xiaomi (14%), Apple (11%), and Honor (10%).
The total shipments in the Middle East smartphone market for the first quarter were recorded at 11.7 million units, a 4% decrease compared to the same period last year. However, the premium smartphone market grew by 17% during the same period.
Manish Prabinkumar, a senior analyst at Canalys, noted, "Samsung Electronics recorded impressive growth rates thanks to the steady demand for the Galaxy A series and the flagship model Galaxy S25 Ultra, leading the market," adding, "In particular, shipments of the Galaxy S25 Ultra accounted for 9% of the total."