Global IT giant Microsoft has announced the appointment of Saif Hilal Al Hosni as the new country manager for the Gulf states of Bahrain and Oman.

In his new role, Al Hosni will spearhead Microsoft’s efforts to assist public and private-sector organisations in both the Gulf countries with their digital transformation journeys, as the duo continue to implement their long-term economic-reform programmes.

After joining Microsoft in 2009, Al Hosni spent over 8 years and held key positions in the public-sector to drive the company’s mission of empowering organisations to achieve more.
Most recently he was the regional manager for small and mid-market solutions and partners (SMSP), leading Microsoft’s Public-Sector team. He has previously served as the IT director at Oman’s Ministry of Finance.

Welcoming the appointment, Sayed Hashish, the regional general manager, Microsoft Gulf, said: "Al Hosni steps into his latest role at a critical juncture for the region."

"Economic diversification is in full swing in Bahrain and Oman, and we believe he is just the right person to strengthen Microsoft’s business with clients in sectors such as government, financial services, and oil and gas, as well as continuing the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance the skill sets of the region’s future technology professionals," he stated.

Al Hosni’s areas of expertise cover IT management, ICT strategy and sales. He currently holds multiple national-level leadership positions, such as VP of the Oman Olympic Committee and the head of the finance committee for Oman IT Society.

He also serves on the advisory board of the College of Science at Sultan Qaboos University.

Al Hosni has 22 years of experience in technology solutions, predominantly in Oman and the Arabian Gulf region. He holds a Master’s degree in Information Systems from the University of Portsmouth, UK and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering in Information Technology from the University of Staffordshire, UK.

Microsoft has a long and strong tradition in the public and private sectors of Bahrain and Oman, stated Al Hosni.

"Digital transformation, powered by the intelligent cloud and the intelligent edge can build a responsive, modern workplace that allows organisations to engage customers, empower employees, optimise operations and transform their business models," he added.-TradeArabia News Service