Cisco has announced the appointment of Hani Raad, General Manager of the West Region in the Middle East, to focus on leading digital transformation initiatives in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the Levant, and Iraq.

The company says Raad will work closely with its partner ecosystem to support government and private sector customers on their digitisation journeys.

David Meads, Vice President - Middle East & Africa at Cisco says the appointment comes at a time when many governments across the region have drawn out national transformation programs that prioritise digital economic output.

Meads adds, "Cisco, along with our ecosystem of partners, is working closely with governments and enterprises to develop their digital roadmaps to position them for long-term prosperity in the digital age.

"As part of the transition towards knowledge-driven, service-led economies, countries across the region have made digitisation an urgent imperative with the aim of translating the digital opportunity into tangible socioeconomic benefits."

Across Africa, Cisco has made a number of appointments and formed strategic partnerships towards its digital transformation agenda.

In July last year, the company appointed Meads as vice president for its MEA operations, with a specific focus on steering that digital transformation.

Meads' appointment came immediately after the company had appointed Ali Amer in the same month as its new MEA managing director for global service provider sales.

According to Edwin Paalvast, president of Cisco Europe, Middle East, and Africa, the MEA region has tremendous potential to reap the benefits of digital transformation, "supported by the prioritisation of digitisation in both government and business agendas."

In October, Cisco partnered with Nigerian technology-based media organisation, Envivo Communications Limited (Envivo) to launch a new Over the Top (OTT) video streaming service called 'nVIVO TV' in early 2018, powered by Cisco's Infinite Video Platform.

Last month, the company, through US-based Cisco jasper, partnered with SA-based multinational mobile telecommunications company MTN to enable their business customers throughout Africa to deliver Internet of Things (IOT) services worldwide.

According to the Siemens 2017 African Digitalisation Maturity Report, Africa's economy stands to gain a potential US$300 million by 2026 through the adoption of digitalisation in industrial sectors.

The report found that digital technology will drive African development rather than disrupt it and "future business leaders will be drawn from the 200 million African aged between 15 and 25 who are early adopters of technology."