Kobo, a global leader in eReading, and multichannel distributor Lionfish, today announced the arrival of Kobo’s digital reading platform to the G.C.C. region including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Passionate readers can now enjoy Kobo’s world-class eBookstore with more than 4.2 million titles, award-winning eReaders, and top-ranked apps for iOS, Android, Microsoft, and BlackBerry platforms. With a variety of eReaders to choose from – Kobo Touch, Kobo Aura and the recently launched waterproof Kobo Aura H2O – there’s an option that is sure to delight any booklover on holiday wish lists this year.  

Starting today, Kobo will be available in 34 stores in the G.C.C. region in the Dubai Duty Free Stores, Virgin Megastores* and Xcite**. Kobo eReading devices will also be available for purchase online at Modvito, Souq.com and Jado Pado. Readers will have access to the Kobo eBookstore, one of the largest in the world, featuring 4.2 million titles across 72 languages. From romance to thrillers, biographies and memoirs to business books, non-fiction to literary fiction, Kobo has something for everyone.

“Digital reading continues to rise across the globe and we’re thrilled to be entering G.C.C. countries to offer readers with best in class E Ink eReaders and eBookstore,” said Jean-Marc Dupuis, Managing Director of EMEA, Kobo. “The Kobo Touch, Kobo Aura and Kobo Aura H2O offer different capabilities and price points, so there is definitely something for every reader. G.C.C. countries are still in the early adoption stages of reading digitally and we are pleased to lead the transformation of this market.”

Lionfish General Trading will be managing all facets of Kobo’s presence in G.C.C. countries including distribution, retail partner relations, marketing and customer care.

“Lionfish has been providing route to market solutions for global consumer electronic brands in G.C.C. regions with success so it was a natural fit when choosing someone to represent Kobo in the region” said Jean-Marc Dupuis, Managing Director of EMEA, Kobo. “We’re very excited to be on the shelves of great retail partners like Virgin Megastores, Dubai Duty Free, Xcite, Modvito, Souq.com and Jado Pado thanks to Lionfish and look forward to a prosperous future in the G.C.C. and providing readers with the best reading experience possible.”

KOBO TOUCH – THE MOST NATURAL READING EXPERIENCE
The award-winning Kobo Touch eReader is equipped with an anti-glare 6” Pearl E Ink touchscreen that offers the closest experience to reading print on paper and is easy on the eyes – even in bright sunlight. The thin and lightweight Kobo Touch is highly portable and offers many ways to personalize the reading experience, get book recommendations, and discover new content.  Available in black, blue and lilac, the Kobo Touch has a battery life of up to one month and has 2 GB of internal memory for the storage of up to 1,000 books, with the option to expand to 32 GB with a micro SD card. The Kobo Touch will be available for AED 429.

KOBO AURA – READ IN STYLE AND ELEGANCE, DAY OR NIGHT
Touted by popular technology news site Engadget as “the best flagship eReader on the market” – the new 6” Kobo Aura eReader is a front-lit E Ink eReader that features the first high-resolution, edge-to-edge display available in an E Ink eReader. Kobo’s ComfortLight technology offers the most evenly lit display that is adjustable to suit any preference for the best reading experience – day or night. Available in black and pink, the sophisticated design of the eReader delivers the closest experience to print-on-paper with a 212 dpi and Pearl E Ink screen. With pinch-and-zoom capabilities for FLePubs/PDFs, Kobo Aura creates a smooth experience with a low-flash waveform screen to virtually eliminate page refresh and ghosting. With 4GB of storage (up to 3,000 books), expandable up to 32GB with a micro SD card, Kobo Aura has a battery life of up to more than two months. Kobo Aura will be available for AED 729.

KOBO AURA H2O – PERFECT FOR THE BATH OR BEACH – WATERPROOF, ANTI-GLARE, DUSTPROOF
Kobo Aura H2O is IP67 certified, which means it is waterproof for up to 30 minutes in 1 metre of water with the port cover closed. This enables people to read more, more often, anywhere they like worry-free without damaging their device if accidently dropped in or splashed with water. Reading on a sun-drenched beach is also encouraged, due to the device’s dustproof design and anti-glare display.

At 265 dpi, the spacious 6.8” touchscreen with upgraded Carta E Ink technology – the first of its kind with these display dimensions – offers the closest experience to print-on-paper, showcasing text and high-resolution images beautifully. The device’s 1GHz processor means page turns are swift, and with 4GB of onboard storage (expandable up to 32GB with a micro SD card), Readers can easily store thousands of eBooks. The Kobo Aura H2O will be available for AED 999.

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.
Rakuten Kobo Inc. is one of the world’s fastest-growing eReading services offering more than 4.2-million eBooks and magazines to millions of customers in 190 countries.  Believing that consumers should have the freedom to read any book on any device, Kobo provides consumers with a choice when reading. Kobo offers an eReader for everyone with a wide variety of E Ink eReaders and Google-Certified Android tablets to suit any Reader’s style including the award-winning Kobo Touch™, Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo, Kobo Aura, Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Arc, Kobo Arc 7, Kobo Arc 7HD, Kobo Arc 10HD – and the newly launched Kobo Aura H2O. Along with the company’s free top-ranking eReading apps for Apple®, BlackBerry®, Android®, and Windows®, Kobo ensures the next great read is just a page-turn away. Headquartered in Toronto and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten, Kobo eReaders can be found in major retail chains around the world. For more information, visit www.kobo.com.

About Lionfish General Trading
Lionfish is an award winning multichannel distributor focused on importing, distribution and marketing consumer brands.  Becoming a preferred supplier to leading retailers across consumer electronics, sports, lifestyle, specialist and department stores Lionfish has become the optimal solution for the G.C.C market. Lionfish represents top brands like Kobo, Bellroy, Lifeproof, FitBit and Otterbox by providing consistent excellence in operational execution.

 *All Virgin Megastores except those in Kuwait 
** Only Xcite stores in Kuwait