Mohammed Owais, Western Digital’s Sales Director for the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and the Indian Subcontinent, says the company is strengthening its MEA channel with tailored strategies, partner support, and distributor collaboration to meet rising data demands.
What is Western Digital’s current approach to building and strengthening its channel ecosystem in the Middle East and Africa?
Our success in MEA starts with our channel partners. They are central to how we deliver value and scale across the region. We offer a differentiated, purpose-built portfolio of scalable capacity that allows our partners to offer the appropriate product for the right use case, whether it’s for consumers, enterprises, or specialised verticals like smart video or NAS. But our commitment doesn’t stop at the product. We back it with operational excellence, ethical business practices, and a long-term sustainability mindset.
We keep close ties with our partners through regular engagements such as strategy reviews, trainings, and informal check-ins via our dedicated WhatsApp channel. These ongoing touchpoints, combined with tailored promotions and marketing investments, help grow the category while keeping our ecosystem well-informed, aligned, and profitable. It’s a relationship built on trust, consistency, and shared growth.
How do you ensure consistent channel performance and partner profitability in such a diverse and rapidly evolving region?
MEA is a dynamic, high-potential region, so consistency requires structure and agility. We use a data-driven approach to track performance and trends, while maintaining close engagement with partners. Regular training and practical skill-building workshops ensure our partners are equipped to sell and support across both consumer and enterprise portfolios.
Profitability is built into our programs. From tiered pricing structures to local incentives, we co-design strategies that are win-win. Our partner programs gives instant access to tools, sales assets, and product insights. And importantly, we localize our support and marketing—so partners get the flexibility they need to grow in their own market context while staying aligned with our broader regional strategy.
What role do distributors play in your overall go-to-market strategy, and how do you select and evaluate them?
Distributors are a critical part of our go-to-market strategy in MEA. Their deep market presence, operational infrastructure, logistical expertise, and customer networks allow us to scale effectively and penetrate new markets faster. We rely on them not just for delivery but for relationship building, credit management, and compliance in a diverse, complex region.
Our selection criteria is based on alignment of reputation, reach, technical and logistical capabilities, experience in our target verticals and shared values. Once onboard, our relationships are closely managed. We hold regular business reviews and track KPIs like growth, engagement, and partner feedback. That ensures we stay on course together, continually optimizing our performance while enabling mutual success.
How is Western Digital enabling its channel partners with training, tools, and incentives to drive growth in both consumer and enterprise segments?
We enable our partners through a 360-degree approach. Our Partner Portal offers easy access to sales tools, training content, product brochures, and marketing assets. For consumer categories like My Passport and My Book, as well as client and enterprise lines like WD Purple, WD Red, WD Gold, and Ultrastar, we provide specialized guidance to support positioning and upselling.
The WD Pro Rewards Program adds value by rewarding sales with points and bonuses on select enterprise products. In-region incentives, co-marketing campaigns, and ongoing enablement sessions round out our efforts. The goal is to empower every partner, regardless of size or market, to grow confidently, profitably, and in sync with our innovation roadmap.
What are the biggest challenges you face in the channel landscape, and how are you addressing issues like market saturation or grey market activity?
Grey market activity and fragmented markets remain key challenges across MEA. Inconsistent pricing, counterfeit products, and unauthorized sales create confusion. We are tackling this through proactive education and close collaboration with distributors and local authorities to flag irregularities early.
On the other hand, market fragmentation calls for tailored strategies. We segment sub-regions based on buying patterns and industry trends. From there, we localize training, support, and marketing to reflect on-the-ground realities. Investments in market intelligence help us stay ahead of shifts in demand and competitor movements, ensuring our channel remains resilient and relevant.
How does your channel strategy differ between mature markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia versus emerging ones like Iraq or Levant countries or Africa?
Our channel strategy in MEA is intentionally tailored to each market’s maturity. In developed markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, we focus on value creation through deep collaboration with specialized partners. These partners help us deliver integrated, industry-specific solutions, especially across enterprise storage, smart video, and infrastructure. We engage them through structured programs that include performance-based incentives, joint business planning, and co-branded demand generation initiatives.
In emerging markets, our priority is market development. We work closely with distributors to seed demand, manage compliance, and support logistics on the ground. Awareness campaigns, and product education play a critical role in building confidence and credibility. By localizing our approach, offering hands-on support, and empowering partners with training and marketing tools, we are laying a foundation for long-term, scalable growth.
Are there any upcoming enhancements or new initiatives planned to expand Western Digital’s channel footprint or improve partner engagement in the region?
Yes, we are doubling down on channel engagement with localized initiatives across high-growth markets like Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, and the broader GCC. These include in-country partner events that offer deeper technical insights and strengthen our relationships, particularly around our HDD and enterprise portfolios.
We’re also expanding our collaboration with system integrators and consultants, especially for data center and infrastructure projects, where our Ultrastar product portfolio is a key enabler for data sovereignty and digital transformation needs. Our goal is to tailor Western Digital’s global channel strategy for regional needs, ensuring our partners are equipped to lead in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
How is Western Digital positioning itself to meet the growing data storage needs in Africa’s rapidly digitizing economies?
Africa’s data centre market is projected to reach $6.81 billion by 2030, driven by increasing internet penetration, cloud computing adoption and demand for digital services. This digital leap is creating unprecedented demand for scalable, reliable storage and Western Digital is well-positioned to lead. With internet usage surging and cloud services expanding, cold and warm data volumes are exploding, especially from AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and surveillance workloads.
Our HDD portfolio is uniquely positioned to deliver high-capacity, cost-efficient solutions to match this demand. Technologies like UltraSMR and ePMR enhance density and performance while lowering power and cooling costs. With 50TB+ drives on our roadmap, we’re enabling hyperscalers and enterprises to scale sustainably. It’s not just about storage, it’s about unlocking smarter, more efficient data infrastructure across Africa, and helping businesses reduce operational expenses (OPEX) and enabling savings.
What investments or channel strategies are in place to expand Western Digital’s presence and accessibility across key African markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa?
We’re investing strategically in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya especially in fast-growing sectors like smart video, where our WD Purple drives are a core enabler. Our approach includes boosting visibility through top retailers and e-commerce platforms and building strong ties with system integrators working in security and data infrastructure.
Our distributors are key, receiving localized training, marketing resources, and inventory support to meet real-time demand. We are also active participants at regional ICT and security expos, showcasing our solutions and engaging with new partners with an aim to build a resilient, future-ready channel that can serve the continent’s surging data needs.