HP focuses on trade and education in Middle East
Posted: 13 July 2003
‘Acceleration of growth’ is main issue in
panel discussions
Joseph Hanania, Regional General Manager of HP Middle East, believes
that the Middle East can use technology to drive growth and create
‘a more prosperous future in the global economy’.
Speaking at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the World Economic
Forum recently held in Jordan, he offered ‘a compelling view’
of what steps leaders in the region can take to accelerate development.
Also attending the three day event was Carly Fiorina, CEO of HP
with a team of senior executives which included Kasper Rorsted,
Senior Vice President, HP EMEA, Debra Dunn, Senior Vice President
Corporate Affairs, HP and Gary Fazzino, Vice President, Government
Affairs.
HP focused on two issues in particular at the event — trade
and education — stating that the key to accelerated growth
in the Middle East was the formation of a single economic bloc for
the region and the delivery of a high standard of education to its
young people.
“The opportunity exists to create a vibrant, single market
of more than 200 million people,” Joseph Hanania, Regional
General Manager HP Middle East said.
“If the leaders in the region can make that opportunity real
it will have a tremendous effect in catapulting the Middle East
into the next stage of its development.”
“Much has been achieved so far and the leaders throughout
the region have clearly identified education as a key priority for
their citizens. We at hp have supported and will continue to support
such initiatives around the world and in the Middle East. We will
partner with leaders in this region to help them create a more conducive
business and educational environment,” he continued.
During the three day event the HP executive team met heads of state,
leading policy makers and thought leaders from around the world
including, H.M King Abdullah II of Jordan, H.R.H Prince Salman Bin
Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain and the UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan.
Hanania together with Carly Fiorina attended a breakfast hosted
by H.M King Abdullah and facilitated by Dr. Fawaz Al Zu’bi,
Minister of Ministry of Information and Communications Technology
(MOICT), to discuss Jordan’s ‘e-education initiative’.
He also participated on the panel in a session examining ‘The
Role of Technology in Education’. During this discussion he
highlighted that as the largest IT company in the Middle East, with
more than 20 percent of the market share and three times the revenue
of its nearest rival, HP had invested much in the region, particularly
in Education and was here to stay.
With packed agenda’s the HP executive team held a number
of meetings with senior figures from the region.
Kasper Rorsted and Joseph Hanania discussed the various initiatives
that are being undertaken in the region as well as in specific countries
such as the UAE and Jordan with Mohammed Al Gergawi, Chairman, Dubai
Development and Investment Authority (DDIA), Saeed Al Muntafiq Director
General, Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA), Ahmed
bin Byat, Director General Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce
and Media Free Zone Authority as well as Hussain Sultan, Group CEO
and Member of Board of ENOC, Abdullah M. Saleh - Managing Director,
National Bank of Dubai and Mr. Pierre Mattei - Chief Executive Officer,
Jordan Telecommunications Company - JTC.
The importance attached by HP to education was underscored by the
meeting that Debra Dunn, Gary Fazzino and Joseph Hanania had with
Khalid Touqan, Minister of Education in Jordan.
Also a high priority for HP during the three-day conference was
philanthropy. HP ties philanthropy closely to education and identifies
it as not sustainable on its own, but as a catalyst in the development
of any region. HP’s belief in this has been demonstrated in
many countries around the world including countries in the Middle
East such as Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Dubai with education initiatives
in universities and schools.
“This visit, the second to the Middle East by our CEO, demonstrates
the importance of the region to HP,” said Hanania. “
Many companies talk about commitment but HP has delivered and will
continue to deliver in the Middle East. We already have offices
in seven cities in the region – namely Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh,
Jeddah and Khobar, Cairo and Ramallah – and we intend to grow
this presence. We have become the leading IT company in the region
by delivering end-to-end solutions, products and services for organisations
of all sizes throughout the region.”
Continuing, “a key focus for us in the region is to carry
on building our local presence, supported by local staff in the
months ahead. One of the clear themes to emerge is the belief in
partnership both with the public and private sector to grow the
industry wherever we operate. We will continue to build on our existing
partnerships in the region and to develop new relationships within
the region over the coming months.”
About HP
HP delivers vital technology for business and life. The company’s
solutions span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access
devices, global services and imaging and printing for consumers,
enterprises and small and medium business.
For the last four quarters, HP revenue totalled $70.4 billion.
More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.
About HP Middle East
HP is the largest IT company in the Middle East employing about
500 people in the region. HP has been present in the Middle East
since 1968, and opened its first regional office in 1994 and has
offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar, Cairo and
Ramallah servicing the GCC, the Levant and Egypt.
For more information see www.hp.com/me.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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