Minister of Cabinet Affairs officially opens Ciscos new Bahrain offices

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• In line with Bahrain 2030 goals of attracting global companies…  


•  Readiness of ICT laws and regulations make Bahrain country of choice


•  ICT sector ready to train and employ local talents

The new Bahrain offices of Cisco Systems, Inc., (Cisco) the world’s leading supplier of networking equipment and network management for the Internet, were officially opened yesterday (Monday, March 30 2009) along with their regional internet data center, at the prestigious Bahrain Financial Harbor. The ceremony was held under the patronage of H.E. Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyat Allah Al Khalifa, Minister for Cabinet Affairs. The new center will service the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
 
The ceremony was part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last year by the Government of Bahrain and Cisco to partner in a number of important strategic initiatives in the Kingdom’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
 
From Bahrain, the regional internet data center will enable Cisco to present its world-class solutions and products to the entire GCC region.
 
Speaking about the event, H.E. Sh. Ahmed bin Ateyat Allah Al Khalifa, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said, “the Government of Bahrain is striving to make Bahrain the country of choice for foreign companies as their regional hub, in line with Bahrain Vision 2030 goals and initiatives aimed at strengthening our national economy and benefiting citizens.”
 
H.E. went on to say that the readiness of the Kingdom’s laws and regulations which are on par with those in developed nations was the basis for Cisco’s choice of Bahrain as its regional base.
 
“The new headquarters will reinforce the cooperation between us and the leading technology suppliers in the world through a more prominent presence in the Kingdom’s ICT sector,” H.E. Sh. Ahmed bin Ateyat Allah Al Khalifa said. “Such initiatives enable us to attract more direct foreign investment, which is one of the Government’s overriding goals, as well as playing a key role in enhancing the Kingdom’s ICT capabilities and elevating its performance and quality to the highest of levels.”
 
In turn, Cisco highlighted the importance of training tomorrow’s ICT talent through educational programs and the establishment of more Cisco Networking Academies across Bahrain. Currently there are 11 academies which train approximately 350 students in total.
 
Mr. Duncan Mitchell, Cisco’s Senior VP for Emerging Markets, outlined that Cisco’s proximity to its clients and partners in Bahrain will help underpin the organization’s support mechanisms of its growing clientele base in the region.
 
“The progressive environment in Bahrain is of the main drivers of growth in key economic sectors which has created an environment which encourages innovation and development of the necessary workforce to put the Kingdom at the forefront of regional economies,” Mr. Mitchell said. “As such, Cisco is committed to developing Bahrain’s ICT infrastructure according to the highest global standards.”
 
Mr. Mohammed Al Qaed, CEO of Bahrain’s eGovernment Authority also emphasized the significance of leading global ICT companies such as Cisco establishing operations in Bahrain. “The presence of such organizations benefits our country, because it encourages local and global expertise to interact directly with one another and allows the completion of related programs and initiatives in a speedier fashion,” he said.
 
“Opening the new offices and data center is one of the landmark events for Cisco in the region,” said Mr. Tarek Ghoul, Cisco’s GM North Gulf. “This will provide us with the firm footing we need to build upon and develop our planned ICT initiatives which will support Bahrain’s economic growth.”
 
The data center will work as the regional center for Cisco’s ICT solutions and services, such as its Telepresence^TM technology, which provides a live face-to-face meeting interface, and Unified Communications technology, which combines various business communications into one easily manageable system.

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