Cisco, which is opening an office in Bahrain and setting up an internet data centre, will work closely with the Bahraini government to define strategic information and communications technology (ICT) initiatives to help advance Bahrain’s global competitiveness, the company’s president for emerging markets Paul Mountfod has said.
 “Bahrain’s progressive regulatory environment has fuelled the growth of vital economic sectors,” Mountfod said.
“Cisco is building on this platform by establishing a strong presence to work closely with government leaders to strengthen the country’s competitive position in the global economy and ensure its success in going forward.”
He added that Cisco would also launch initiatives and further accelerate the deployment of the Cisco Networking Academy. Currently Cisco has 10 networking academies in Bahrain with 350 active students.
Cabinet Affairs Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa, remarked: “These initiatives will strengthen our co-operation with global technology providers through a strong local presence to grow the ICT industry in Bahrain and help pave the way to attract direct foreign investment, a long standing strategic objective of the government.”
He added that co-operation between the government of Bahrain and Cisco was essential for building capacity required in the kingdom’s IT market and modernisation of government operations.
“Our agreement works first and foremost to serve society at large and the Bahraini people,” said eGovernment Authority chief executive officer Mohammed Al Qaed.
“The agreement comes as part of the strategic framework that the eGovernment Authority has created to expand its operations and enter into long-term partnerships.
“This will help fulfill its overall aim to improve the eGovernment service and reach its customers.”