Cisco today introduced the appointment of Hani Raad as General Manager for its West Region in the Middle East. In his new function, Hani Raad will focus on leading Cisco's digital transformation efforts in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the Levant and Iraq, and will work carefully with its partner ecosystem to sustain federal government and private sector customers on their digitization trips, while aiding them drive preferred business end results.

"As part of the change towards knowledge-driven, service-led economies, nations throughout the region have made digitization an immediate vital with the aim of equating the digital possibility into concrete socioeconomic advantages," claimed David Meads, Vice President - Middle East & Africa, Cisco. "Cisco, in addition to our community of companions, is working very closely with governments and enterprises to develop their digital roadmaps to place them for long-term success in the digital age."

According to McKinsey Global Institute's Industry Digitization Index, a number of nations Middle East are making significant strides in the digitization surge. Bahrain, as an example, has been embracing progressive digitization policies sustained by widespread Internet and smartphone infiltration and boosted use of social networks.

"The consultation of Hani as General Manager for the West Region comes at a time when numerous governments across the region have actually extracted national transformation programs where optimizing their digital economic output is given high priority," added Meads. "Hani is a knowledgeable executive that brings a good deal of power and commitment to this duty, and I am confident that his market knowledge and deepness of proficiency will certainly support our efforts as Cisco remains to play a leading role in creating the region's digital ecological community."

As General Manager for the Middle East's West Region, Hani will certainly be responsible for supervising Cisco's business procedures and driving its growth plans across his markets. In this broadened duty, he will utilize Cisco's growing portfolio of solutions and work to reinforce cooperation with federal governments and Cisco's partner network to make certain that Cisco remains the region's partner of option for digitization. ""

I look my new duty and am delighted about the tremendous opportunities that are present across the countries I oversee," "said Hani Raad, General Manager - West Region, Cisco Middle East. "As a company at the leading edge of digital business transformation with the widest innovation options, Cisco is well positioned in order to help speed up the digital transformation of our customers in a meaningful means. By leveraging our global experience and industry-leading developments we have the ability to aid the region's companies end up being future-ready as they change to the digital age.".

Having actually joined Cisco over 11 years back, Hani has a varied 24-year history of regional ICT industry experience paired with cross-industry exposure. He has actually held numerous executive positions in arising markets, where he was responsible for developing strategic sales approaches whilst driving the message on the should focus on the digital agenda to sustain emerging country innovation, success and social addition.

Nations in the West Region have already taken strides in driving economic growth by boosting innovation and knowledge overflow. Kuwait has been just one of the top moving companies in WEF's Networked Preparedness Index, with significant enhancements in ICT use and effect, mostly driven by high business and individual fostering levels and lined up with its New Kuwait 2035 Vision's plan for transforming itself into a digital culture and economic climate. Meanwhile, Bahrain continuouslies lead the region in global positions for e-government development (United Nations eGovernment Study) and ICT use, and is in the world's leading 30 for networked preparedness (World Financial Forum).

Gartner estimates that Middle East governments will spend $11.6 billion on IT services and products in 2017. Specifically, the expanding adoption and development of smart cities, e-services, artificial intelligence and automation bodes well for their drive to decrease costs and enhance competitiveness, particularly in the region's huge power and construction sectors, where an estimated 40% of tasks could be automated.