Bahrain's leading telecoms company Batelco has appointed industry veteran Rashid Abdulla as the new chief executive for its operations in the Kingdom.

Announcing this on Monday, Batelco chairman Shaikh Hamad Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said Abdulla was an experienced telecoms executive and the first national to hold the most senior role at Batelco Bahrain.

"Abdulla has been in the telecommunications business for 30 years and is currently the managing director of Qualitynet, Batelco Group’s Kuwait Operation. He will take over his new role by the end of January," Shaikh Hamad said.

“Rashid, who will be supported by a strong team of experienced general managers at Batelco Bahrain , has gained vast experience throughout his career at Batelco and we firmly believe that he has all the credentials to lead and grow Batelco as we enter the second decade of the new century,” he added.

Abdulla began his career at Batelco in 1986 as an engineering manager, having completed a BSc in Electrical & Electronics Engineering as a trainee with Cable & Wireless, Batelco’s former shareholder.

'Over the past 25 years, he held management roles in a variety of Batelco’s departments and was instrumental in the delivery of a number of major achievements including the launch of Internet Services in 1995, which remains as one of Batelco’s most significant and far reaching accomplishments,' the official said.

In 2000, Rashid was seconded by Batelco to manage operations at its Kuwaiti unit Qualitynet and during the past 10 years has helped to turn the company into a highly profitable and customer focused organisation recognised as the leading internet and Data Communications Company in Kuwait.

On his appointment, Abdulla said, 'I feel very honoured by the Board’s recognition of my achievements and the trust they place in me by offering me this coveted position. I assure them and the senior management my 100 per cent commitment to strive to deliver on the company’s strategy for the home operation.'

“I really look forward to returning home to Hamala Headquarters and once again working alongside the dedicated teams that make Batelco Bahrain the leading telco in the Kingdom,” he added.

Batelco Group CEO Peter Kaliaropoulos said, “We have faced many challenges this year with the competitive pressures in Bahrain and we anticipate that those challenges will intensify in the new year.'

'Having worked alongside Rashid as part of Group Operations over recent years, I believe that he has the right leadership, competitive ethos, enthusiasm and energy necessary to address competitive challenges, focus the company on delivering value to our customers and drive the company’s growth and future success,' Kaliaropoulos added.-TradeArabia News Service