Rick Liu, Sales Manager, International Sales Department at Shokz, discusses the rapid growth of open-ear audio, evolving consumer preferences and the brand’s regional expansion strategy. He also highlights Shokz’s latest innovations and its vision to make open-ear listening part of everyday life.
How is the open-ear audio market evolving across the Middle East, and what key trends are driving consumer adoption of this category?
The open-ear audio market is gaining significant momentum across the Middle East, with growth substantially outpacing the broader headphone category. According to Amazon category data, the overall headphone market in the UAE grew by approximately 1–3% year over year, while open-ear headphones recorded growth of approximately 280%. In Saudi Arabia, the overall headphone market grew by approximately 6%, compared with approximately 300% growth for open-ear headphones.
These figures highlight how open-ear audio is rapidly evolving from a niche sports product into a high-growth consumer audio category.
Two key trends are driving this adoption.
First, fitness and wellness are becoming increasingly important parts of everyday life across the region. Initiatives such as the UAE’s Dubai Fitness Challenge and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Quality of Life Program are encouraging greater participation in running, cycling, fitness and outdoor activities. Open-ear headphones are particularly suited to these environments, allowing users to enjoy audio while remaining aware of their surroundings.
Second, consumer demand is expanding beyond dedicated sports use. Users increasingly want comfortable and versatile products that can transition seamlessly from a morning workout to commuting, working and other daily activities. This shift from sports-only to all-day, multi-scenario usage is creating significant opportunities for the category.
As a pioneer in open-ear audio, Shokz is responding by strengthening its engagement with regional sports communities while expanding its lifestyle portfolio. Through products such as OpenDots 2, OpenFit Pro and OpenFit Air 2, we are developing solutions for different needs, spanning running and training to commuting, work and leisure.
Our long-term vision is to make open-ear audio a natural part of modern life, enabling people to enjoy high-quality sound while staying connected to the world around them.
Shokz has built its reputation around bone conduction and open-ear technology. How have your latest product innovations enhanced the listening experience for users?
At Shokz, a great listening experience goes beyond sound quality. It also means creating headphones that feel comfortable, fit naturally into everyday life and allow people to remain connected to their surroundings. This philosophy has guided our expansion from bone conduction into open-ear air-conduction products.
Our latest innovations take open-ear audio performance further. OpenFit Pro, for example, features Shokz SuperBoost, an 11 × 20 mm driver system with synchronised dual diaphragms. The core driver reaches an upper frequency limit of 40 kHz under controlled laboratory conditions, providing the hardware foundation for extended bandwidth, detailed sound reproduction and controlled distortion.
We develop our acoustic hardware, audio processing and sound-leakage control together. Our objective is to translate these engineering advances into tangible listening benefits, including fuller bass, clearer details and balanced sound, while allowing users to keep their ears open to everyday sounds.
What are the standout features of Shokz’s newest products, and which customer segments are showing the strongest demand for them in the region?
OpenDots 2 and OpenFit Pro represent our latest innovations across clip-on and ear-hook designs, catering to different listening preferences and lifestyles.
OpenDots 2 combines a compact design with advanced acoustic engineering. Bassphere 2.0 integrates two 11.8 mm drivers into a spherical acoustic module to deliver fuller bass. MirrorPitch uses precisely angled sound outlets to direct audio towards the ear canal, enhancing bass and volume performance. Upgraded Dolby Audio further enriches sound detail and spaciousness.
In terms of fit, its flexible nickel-titanium JointArc structure works with contoured silicone to balance comfort and stability across different ear shapes. For calls, two air-conduction microphones work alongside a dedicated bone-conduction microphone to help capture the wearer’s voice.
OpenFit Pro, meanwhile, places Shokz SuperBoost at the heart of its audio performance, alongside sound optimised for Dolby Atmos and head tracking. Shokz Open-Ear Noise Reduction gives users the flexibility to switch between open listening and greater focus as their surroundings change.
Through these different designs and technology combinations, we aim to give consumers the flexibility to choose an open-ear product that best suits their preferences and daily activities.
The strongest demand is coming from active, health-conscious consumers, particularly runners, cyclists and fitness enthusiasts who want to enjoy audio while remaining aware of their surroundings. This is particularly relevant in the Middle East, where participation in outdoor sports and fitness activities is growing.
We are also seeing broader interest from everyday users looking for comfortable, non-in-ear headphones for commuting, work and leisure. This indicates that the category is expanding beyond dedicated athletes to a wider consumer base seeking versatile, all-day audio solutions.
Ultimately, adoption is being driven less by a particular age group or user profile and more by shared needs: comfort, situational awareness and flexibility across different activities.
How are changing consumer lifestyles, including fitness, remote work, and outdoor activities, influencing purchasing decisions in the personal audio market?
In our product development, we increasingly consider how headphones can support different moments throughout the day. Exercise requires a secure fit, work calls demand comfort and voice clarity, while outdoor activities make environmental awareness particularly important.
Consequently, consumers are looking beyond sound quality when evaluating personal audio products. Comfort, versatility, call performance and ease of use are becoming equally important purchasing considerations.
Open-ear designs address many of these requirements by allowing users to enjoy music or take calls while remaining aware of nearby conversations and surrounding sounds.
This thinking has guided our expansion beyond sports into everyday listening. We want our headphones to fit naturally into people’s lives, whether they are exercising, working, commuting or spending time with family and friends.
What role does customer feedback play in shaping Shokz’s innovation roadmap, and how do regional insights help tailor products and experiences for Middle East markets?
Customer feedback is an important input into our product development priorities. We start by understanding real user experiences, including comfort, fit stability during exercise, call clarity and sound expectations. These practical considerations help us identify the improvements that matter most to consumers.
In developing comfortable products, for example, we consider different head and ear shapes, as well as the impact of accessories such as glasses and earrings. Ear-clip, ear-hook and bone-conduction designs make contact with different parts of the ear, requiring distinct approaches to testing and evaluation.
Users also play an important role in our sound development process. We combine objective acoustic measurements with subjective listening evaluations, establish internal reference standards, involve experienced audio professionals and consider the preferences of mainstream listeners.
For us, technology must translate into meaningful user benefits. Customer feedback helps keep our development focused and ensures that engineering progress results in improvements people can experience in their everyday lives.
Regional insights are equally important in understanding consumer preferences across different markets. In the Middle East, this includes the need to enjoy audio during outdoor activities while remaining aware of one’s surroundings, as well as comfort across workouts, commutes and everyday use. Climate conditions, local sports habits and preferred usage scenarios also inform how we communicate product benefits and develop local experiences.
With increasing competition in the wearable audio segment, what differentiates Shokz from conventional earbuds and headphones in terms of performance, comfort, and safety?
Our differentiation comes from years of developing acoustic engineering, materials and wearable design specifically for open-ear listening.
Open-ear audio presents distinct engineering challenges, particularly in sound delivery, bass performance and leakage control. We address these through customised driver systems and technologies such as DirectPitch 3.0, which directs sound towards the ear while reducing leakage in other directions.
Comfort is another important area of focus. We consider both the overall product structure and the materials that come into contact with the skin. Shokz Ultra-Soft Silicone 2.0, for example, has a Shore 00 hardness of 16 ± 3, providing a soft contact surface. Flexible structures and ergonomic designs help us balance softness with a secure fit.
Environmental awareness is also a key benefit of the open-ear format. By leaving the ear canal unsealed, our products allow surrounding sounds to reach the ears while users enjoy their audio. This ability to stay connected to the environment is central to our product design philosophy.
For consumers considering a new audio device today, why should they choose Shokz, and what unique value does the brand deliver that competitors may not offer?
Shokz is designed for consumers who want enjoyable sound, comfortable wear and the ability to stay connected to the world around them.
Our strength lies in combining specialised open-ear acoustic engineering with expertise in materials and wearable design. We also recognise that consumers have different ear shapes, activities and listening preferences. That is why our portfolio includes sports-focused headphones, ear-hook earbuds and compact clip-on designs.
We continue to invest in the details that define the everyday listening experience, from clear and natural sound to a secure fit and lasting comfort. Our goal is to make technology fit naturally into people’s lives, allowing them to enjoy their audio while remaining engaged with the people and experiences around them.
