Windows Phone 7 launches in Saudi Arabia

HTC has launched the HTC HD7, with the HTC Desire HD in Saudi Arabia. The region is traditionally a great consumer of high-end handsets, including previously Windows Mobile handsets.

Mohamed El-Rahawan, marketing manager, HTC Saudi Arabia said “Customers in Saudi Arabia have been eagerly awaiting the launch of these new models.  .. As for the HTC HD7, this will be a whole new mobile experience for users thanks to Windows Phone 7. The HD7 is packed with features that will excite and engage users, who will also hugely benefit from the level of customization that the phone offers, which is designed to help users find and use the features optimally and easily,”

Neeraj Seth, MENA marketing manager, HTC Middle East & North Africa, said “the Saudi market has always been extremely receptive to HTC products which makes the Kingdom vital to our market consolidation plans in the region. We believe that the feature-rich HTC Desire and HD7 will particularly appeal to the country’s young, tech savvy population, and accordingly HTC plans to market these phones very innovatively to this segment.”

“HTC has major plans for the KSA market, given its strategic importance to our overall scheme of things in the region. Over the coming period, we will be making significant investments on branding and promotion-related initiatives to create greater visibility for our brand and further build on our ‘connect’ with our growing customer base in the Kingdom,” Kais noted.

According to SaudiWP7.com the handset comes in at a relatively pricy 3290 Riyal (Around $877), but delivers on the promise of Steve Ballmer to have a Windows Phone 7 handset in the area by December. They note Android still does not support Arabic, making Windows Phone 7 a rather attractive proposition.

Windows Phone 7 is set to offer full Asian script support by the middle of 2011. The increasingly rapid roll-out of Windows Phone 7 worldwide would have helped to contribute to the 1.5 million Windows Phone 7 handsets shipped in only 6 weeks.

Via the Saudi Gazette.

Thanks HabeebAlAli and Ubaid for the tip.