Having set up a regional office in Dubai over the past year, Tensator – which has been at the leading edge of retail customer guidance for more than 30 years – is looking at expanding its team in the region and strengthening its distributor network.

“For the past few years, the firm has experienced increasing sales in the Gulf and the decision to create a permanent operation in Dubai was inevitable,” says Abdel Aziz Rahal, a spokesman for the UK-based firm which has been providing effective crowd control and queue management products to high-profile multi-store chains, independents and sole traders, as well as airports, leisure outlets and financial institutions worldwide.
In the past year, Rahal says Tensator has opened the Dubai office, showroom and factory unit, and completed a high-profile acquisition of US-based Lawrence Metal Products.
 “Tensator is now a global company,” he explains. “It made sense for us to be a part of the booming Middle East market. Clearly, it is a very different marketplace to the UK and to open an office in Dubai makes huge sense. To fully understand the culture and the detailed requirements of customers in the Middle East, a local presence on a day-to-day basis is essential. Tensator is confident that its new base in Dubai will be successful in meeting the demands not only of the booming economy of the Gulf but also across the Middle East.”
Rahal says Tensator is also keen to follow up on existing relationships with the big Lawrence accounts, as well as their existing distributors in the Middle East.
“Our plan is to grow the team here at the same time as strengthening the distributor network to cover all regional sectors. Our new facility in the airport free zone includes a showroom where customers can get a real feel for product quality and evaluate the benefits that we can bring to their organisation,” he adds. “We also have warehouse facilities for product storage, assembly and customisation. This will allow quick supply to customers and distributors, as well a reduction in project lead times, enabling us to offer good service to end-users.”
Rahal points out that Gulf nationals are more comfortable doing business with someone they can meet face to face. They don’t just put their trust in the product, they put their trust in the people; they want to maintain a good relationship with people with whom they do business. 
So in the past year, Tensator has been attending many exhibitions, such as ArabShop, Retail Middle East and Sign & Graphic Imaging in Dubai. It has also made successful inroads into the airport market with recently completed projects at the airport.
The company has also completed a significant installation of its market-leading Tensabarriers at Doha International Airport. Specified by Qatar Airways, this functional, stylish and well-designed passenger customer guidance system provides an effective method for ensuring that the airline’s international departures are achieved efficiently and without delay.
“Qatar Airways operates a fleet of 39 modern Airbus aircraft from the airport and the airline is one of only three in the world to be awarded a five-star ranking by Skytrax (the independent aviation industry monitoring agency) for high service standards and quality. Recently earmarked for expansion, Doha International Airport has undergone a complete renewal of the customer guidance system in the International Departures lounge,” he points out.
With a peerless pedigree in providing customer guidance solutions for airports worldwide, Tensator was the natural choice when the airport sought a first-class solutions provider, says Rahal.
“Effective passenger guidance is a key element in maintaining this high standard of service and by replacing the old system with the world-leading Tensabarrier, we have helped to ensure that Qatar Airways continues to maintain its leading position in the region,” he adds.
Tensator provided more than 300 Tensabarrier Advance posts in chrome with retractable webbing in grey with a printed logo. 
Tensabarrier is the world’s first flexible queue management solution and has often been copied, though never bettered and the installation can be easily reconfigured to suit fluctuating passenger levels, Rahal says. “Offering an unmatched variety of design and performance, Tensabarrier’s benefits include four-way connectivity, anti-tamper locking tape ends, and a patented webbing brake system.
In the comprehensive Tensabarrier range, there are up to 52 paint, plastic, wood or metal finishes to choose from and two webbing length options; 2.3 m or 4 m. In addition, webbing is available in 34 standard colours, with custom colours, text and graphics or logos available on request.
Looking ahead
Rahal says the region’s retail industry is booming.
“What is happening out there is that Gulf countries are investing in sectors other than the oil industry, which is starting to dwindle, and it makes sense for them to do that. Retailing is one of these sectors,” he continues. “We firmly believe that all of the major retailers will be expanding into the Middle East, by which time we will have an established presence in the region and will be well-positioned to supply them with the products that they are used to in Europe.”
Rahal says the Tensator ethos is to think globally, to be a multi-national company with a local presence and to be the leading company in the provision of queuing, space management and display systems.
“Looking to the future, I believe that the UAE market will continue to boom, but Saudi Arabia (which is the biggest market in the Middle East) is a market that we will really have to keep an eye on,” he concludes. “Of course, my biggest challenge right now is to inform the market and to let them know that Tensator is here, while meeting our targets for sales, service and brand awareness.”