Middle East remains a hot spot for Huawei’s expansion ambitions
Company sees GCC landscape encouraging as ICT services get to the public
The Middle East remains a significant market for Huawei as both a growth driver and a region where it contributes to building a better connected world, a top official told Gulf News.
“We have viewed the Middle East as a significant market. Since the beginning, we have expanded in line with the needs of our regional partners but also with a great deal of focus, offering tailored solutions that meet the specific requirements of our customers,” said Pan En, vice-president of Huawei Middle East.
The Chinese player, which opened its “Huawei Innovation Centre” in Dubai in partnership with the Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI) recently, hopes it will not only play a major role in Dubai’s Smart City programmes but also in developing human capital as well as innovative technology solutions for a wider regional and global community and enterprise population.
“It will also allow us to share our experiences in the pursuit of innovation with governments, enterprises and transformational initiatives across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region,” Pan said.
He said that Dubai has attracted the world’s attention through many ambitious and innovative infrastructure projects.
Pan added that Huawei is delighted to have contributed to the development of the country’s ICT industry during this time.
Huawei has 31 joint innovation centres worldwide. In the region, Huawei has tied up with Zain Kuwait in 2014 and in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Aramco and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in September 2015 to open innovation centres.
Market demands
En said that every Huawei innovation stems from “close interaction” with its customers to understand their needs and market demands.
“The reason why Huawei can maintain steady growth amid complex competition in the global ICT industry is through continuous innovation. Innovation is based on customer needs and technological leadership, placing equal importance on those made by scientists and engineers in applications, products and services. This is what the Huawei Innovation Centres aim to achieve in each market,” he said.
He sees the overall landscape in the GCC to be very encouraging as many countries take ambitious steps to enhance their telecommunications, connectivity and other ICT services to the public.
In the upcoming years, this will have a “positive impact” on the socioeconomic health of many countries as they further develop their digital economy and improve the living conditions of people through ICT access.