SaudiMac Saudi Apple Macintosh Users
Mobily’s CIO Mr Medhat Amer has issued a few statements about the iPhone 4 in Saudi Arabia and Mobily’s plans using Twitter.
I have translated them from Arabic:
• the countdown for the iPhone 4 official launch in Saudi Arabia has begun. Let me explain a few points first.
• As usual stock will not be enough and the reason as I said before is that Apple is providing a limited number of devices so please accept our apologies in advance.
• Our employees will not have a priority on buying an iPhone 4 before customers.
• Mobily’s goal is spreading mobile Internet and we do not aim to profit on iPhone 4 sales. So we expect our iPhone 4 prices to be competitive.
• We will try provide a twitter service to help customers find the nearest Mobily branch with iPhone 4 stock. Some of the branch managers are already on Twitter and they will provide help as well.
• (question about RAQI VIP customers being able to reserve) Good idea but the quantities are too low to implement it.
• (question: we hope the prices are better than Jarir’s 5,000SR) The price should be the lowest in the Kingdom. Some stores sell it at double the price and they will most likely reduce the price once Mobily start selling the iPhone 4.
• Prices are still under consideration and we did not announce it. But we hope you will like it. Mobily’s goal is not to profit from the hardware.
• (question about warranty) Mobily is only responsible for the iPhones that they sell (Khaled adds: another reason for We Want Apple Saudi Arabia).
• (question about some stores cheating the system, buying iPhones from Mobily then reselling them) We have a limit of 1 per person, there is no way to stop 10 different people from buying an iPhone for the same store.
• No reservations this year because it was not successful.
Arabic version of this post on SaudiMac Arabic Edition.
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hmmm…… thx for the post,,, but i think he missed one thing…
as he said that stock will not be enough,, so why dont he tell  us when it will be available ??? 😀
Stocks werent enough since iPhone 3GS so at least they will improve this time. Also, what does he means prices to be competitive? Shouldnt it be same like their 3GS?
Thanks for the translation Khaled!
Finally, he has missed the key question of when they will be launching it. If Etisalat is launching on 25th September, there are sufficient reasons for me to assume we will have Iphone 4 after the 25th of September. But I am just a normal guy waiting lonely under the sky.
I can wait a little longer than 30th September to see what Steve Jobs plan unfolds for this device globally.
what are the requirements buying iphone4 in mobily store & which branch should i go..if im here in Sheraton Hotel Corniche?pls give me feedback boss’
join twitter and ask him: http://twitter.com/mobilycio
that’s awesome if the countdown has already begun.. I can’t wait more!
this “CIO” needs to get back to work and ensure that its launched soon rather than sending trailer tweets in office hours.
🙂
Look up “CIO”.
What does CIO mean ? Chief of Internal Operations (and Twitter bum) .If they handle this badly they’re gonna lose a number of their customers…
chief information officer  a job title commonly given to the most senior executive in an enterprise responsible for the information technology and computer systems that support enterprise goals. The CIO typically reports to the chief executive officer, chief operations officer or chief financial officer.Â
i would suggest you look up and see how many organization are banning facebook and twitter since they are nothing but waste of time and are a cause of less productivity while office hours.
How many senior employees of organizations of global repute tweet company information?
Being a CIO doesn’t means he starts tweeting “information”. A CIO is responsible to ensure business is supported through technology. Teasers and trailers is the job of Marketing
Just my 2 cents
with all respect to Hamxa, but have you heard about the term social media marketing? and what is the benefit of interacting with end user over social media?Â
if not, just do a quick search about it before blaming people that they are wasting their time during office hours.
Thats exactly what I am talking about Haitham Ghazal
If you read what I wrote in my post is that teasers and trailers are the job of Marketing not of the CIO of the organization
and i am not blaming anyone although I stick to my point that a CIO has more responsibilities than giving out “breaking news” of products and services.
No offence and none taken
:)Â
But I just wanted my Iphone? (from The Dark Knight in Joker Style)
As much as I was waiting for this bad boy to be released here in KSA, I’m also intrigued by the Sep 30th deadline for the case program.
Is this the reason Mobily has limited stock, cuz they’re waiting for the revised version of the iPhone4?! (without antenna gate issues)
after using the iPhone 4 without a case in Riyadh I can safely say that the antenna issues are not a real concern with Saudi carriers or should I say the 2100MHz frequency
will saudi mobily network allows? facetime video call i would say never.. as Relegious police will behaded the handset lol or give 200000 lashes to the iphone 4 lol…
stop buying these gadets until you learn to respect human being.. saudi have poor human right abuse people and treat like a slave.. treat women like a animal…
women cannot even drive let alone using iphjone 4 facetime….
sup phil ??Â
are you fine ???
were talkin about iPhone 4 here….
not women cannot drive a car….. 😀
Is the the Iphone locked exclusive to Mobily???
I think Mobily should stop flashing ads that they have the iPhone 4 now — I just saw one right now on my Facebook page — because they don’t! I visited their outlet the moment I learned they have launched it, only to learn they don’t have them in stock. And when I asked if I can put my name on a reservation list, they said they have none. As a customer, it is just so disappointing. I’ve been following them up for over 2 weeks now, still nothing. If Mobily knew they would only get limited stocks, then they should not have so flamboyantly told the whole of Saudi “Hey, we have the iPhone 4 now!”. You can even check their website, the announcement is still there. I’m so sorry this is turning into a novel. LOLZ. I’m just disappointed really after all the hype!
You should visit Mobily offices in Bayanate building, solider building , haq bani building, Tawareen center and you will find most of the mobily employee have iphone 4, how he can say they are not giving them priority…..
Excellent article, thank you for sharing this with everyone!!