Cisco has announced the appointment of Ali Al Lawati as general manager for Oman. In his new role, Al Lawati will work closely with public and private sector organizations to help enable their digital transformation journeys.

“Ali’s appointment reflects our commitment to developing local talent regionally, particularly in leadership roles where qualified professionals are able to bring to bear their experience and acute understanding of market dynamics,” said Shukri Eid, managing director, East Region, Cisco Middle East.

“The high calibre of Omani human capital available is a testament to the Sultanate’s ability to link the educational system to the growing requirements of a modern labour force.

“Oman is currently undergoing a significant transition, with technology playing an increasingly important role as an enabler to the Sultanate’s economic diversification. As a technology leader with a longstanding presence in Oman, Cisco will continue to contribute its digital transformation expertise to support the country’s journey to transform into a sustainable knowledge-based economy and digital society,” added Eid.

“Combined with its strategic location on regional and international communication grids and easy access to emerging markets, the Sultanate’s dynamic business community and progressive, business-oriented government make it an ideal market to reap the benefits of digitization,” said Fady Younes, deputy managing director and operations director for the East Region, Cisco Middle East.

“Ali’s appointment comes at an exciting time as the Omani government prioritizes technology as a key contributor to the Sultanate’s long-term prosperity and a main driver of growth across key sectors.”

"I am excited to join the Cisco team. As a global technology company, Cisco has well-tested practices in enabling digital transformation," said Al Lawati.

“As organizations in Oman seek to optimize costs and drive efficiencies, there is immense potential for growth in area such as mobility, security, cloud, big data, and analytics. With our expansive portfolio of smart solutions and outcome-based approach, Cisco is better-placed to support businesses in implementing their digital roadmaps.”

The rapid growth of the ICT industry in Oman is creating demand for digital, networking, and cybersecurity skills. Narrowing the IT skills gap is an area where Cisco Networking Academy has been contributing significantly over the years by nurturing and developing talent for the digital era and driving initiatives to attract more young Omani students and graduates to pursue careers in technology.

At present there are more than 3,000 students enrolled with Cisco Networking Academy in Oman, which has trained more than 15,000 students since its inception. With 71 per cent of the enrolled students being female, to date Oman has the highest female participation rate in Cisco’s global IT skills and career building program.

"Oman is considered a regional leader in the development of e-government and e-services, with a comprehensive program that aims to simplify government processes, enhance service delivery and accessibility, and bring services closer to citizens. We are committed to supporting Oman’s digitization agenda in line with the government’s vision of enhancing government services and public sector efficiency toward a smart future,” Al Lawati concluded.

With more than 20 years of experience in the Omani ICT market, Ali Al Lawati has held various roles within the sector, including CEO and Consultant and Head of Projects, in addition to having served on the Board of Directors for a commercial data center entity.

Prior to joining Cisco, Al Lawati was the CEO of Nasma Telecommunications and the head of IT and Telecommunications Projects at Petroleum Development Oman.

Al Lawati holds a double master's degree: one for communications systems and signal processing from Bristol University in the UK and the second in business administration (MBA) from Strathclyde University, also in the UK. He earlier received his bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. – TradeArabia News Service