Huawei, a leading information and communications solutions provider, is set to host a number of commemorative activities to mark its 15-year anniversary of opeartions in the Middle East.

 

It will be during the build up to the Gitex Technology Week which starts on October 18 in Dubai, UAE.

 

Driven by a desire to build a better connected world, Huawei Middle East is a strategic partner to leading telecom operators, governments and enterprises in enabling the Middle East’s digital society, said a statement.

 

Charles Yang, president of Huawei Middle East, said: “For 15 years the Middle East has been a significant market for our company. We have been privileged to help push the boundaries of technology innovation and to support government visions for constructing more intelligent and connected national infrastructure. 

 

"We are thankful for all our loyal customers and partners, and remain dedicated to empowering the Middle East’s digital transformation.”

 

Over the last 15 years, Huawei Middle East has established an end-to-end portfolio of ICT solutions to provide value to its growing partner base. It has also been a commercially successful geography for Huawei. 

 

The wider Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region accounted for 35 per cent of Huawei’s total global revenue in 2014 with the region’s revenues up approximately 20 per cent year-on-year.

 

A part of Huawei’s expansion has been a result of a long-term commitment to research and development. It now has about 76,000 employees focusing on R&D—more than 45 per cent of its total workforce worldwide—with several Joint Innovation Centers operating in the Middle East as well as a dedicated Middle East IT Competency Center, a Middle East Smart Cities Center of Excellence, and three Middle East training centers, said the statement. 

 

Helping organisations to capitalise on new technologies such as 5G, cloud IT, and Internet of Things applications, Huawei annually invests an average of more than 10 per cent of its total global revenue into R&D, reaching approximately $6.6 billion in 2014.

 

In recent years the company has made clear its continued investments in local talent to help bridge the region’s digital divide. Most recently that has included a string of regional training programs at the university level up to advanced professional courses—encompassed under Huawei’s Seeds for the Future programme.

 

“Fifteen years ago Huawei’s corporate structure looked considerably different than it does today. Nevertheless, our values have largely remained the same. We exist to serve our customers and local communities,” said Yang. 

 

“Huawei has done this by delivering exceptional before and after-service support to our partners, respecting local cultures and striving to learn and grow together with our partners,” he said.

  

“Looking ahead, we are constantly expanding and improving our business operations in the Middle East to set new milestones in the ICT sector and to apply fresh, original thinking to our work,” Yang concluded.

 

The company’s Middle East headquarters is located in Bahrain with offices across 10 countries and around 5,000 employees—of whom over 66 per cent are local hires. - TradeArabia News Service