Huawei mobile app store attracts 1.6 million developers

Huawei says its app store has attracted 1.6 million developers as the number of mobile users hits 700 million.

Meanwhile, Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has developed an app for Huawei mobile, joining other local brands DEWA, RTA, Dubai Consumer, Talabat and others on the company’s app store, the AppGallery.

Under US sanctions, Huawei has been prohibited from accessing Google Mobile Services, including the Play Store, forcing the Chinese company to develop its own app ecosystem from scratch. It now has the third-largest app store in the world after Android and iOs.

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Huawei has announced several initiatives to attract regional developers to its AppGallery platform. It held its first MENA developer Day last year as part of its $1bn Shining Star Program to incentivise global developers. So far more than 10,000 apps have benefited from the initiative, the company says.

As users increasingly use their smartphones to manage their finances, Huawei says it has embedded stringent security and privacy features into the HMS ecosystem. The company says the AppGallery has a full-cycle security and protection system that ensures developers are verified and all apps in the marketplace are secure and maintain the data privacy of users. The app store also meets global security requirements such as GAPP (Generally Accepted Privacy Principles) and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), it adds.

“Huawei continues to invest heavily in supporting local developers in the UAE to increase engagement and to bring essential apps to users across the UAE. Our partnership with CBD, is crucial as we increase our portfolio of financial apps available on the Huawei AppGallery and bring the convenience of financial management to consumers here in the UAE,” said Lu Geng, vice president, Middle East and Africa for Global Partnerships and Eco-Development.