Orange has officially inaugurated the Orange Middle East and Africa (MEA) operational head office in Casablanca, Morocco.

The office is located in Casablanca Finance City Tower (CFC) and according to a statement released by the French telecommunications firm, is equipped with cutting edge technology including video conference and telepresence rooms, as well as a social hub that supervises and monitors the digital activity of Orange and the industry in general in Africa and the Middle East in real-time.

In 2015 Orange opted to empower its subsidiary Orange MEA with more autonomy to grow business in the region.

The telco said the subsidiary has achieved an average annual growth rate of 6%.

Alioune Ndiaye was appointed as Orange MEA chief executive officer in May 2018.

Of the newly established headquarters, Ndiaye said: "I am very proud to inaugurate alongside Stephane Richard and in the presence of all the members of the Orange Group's Executive Committee this new head office in Casablanca. It sends a highly symbolic message, a turning point in the history of the Group that provides further proof of our desire to be even closer to our customers and to make Orange MEA the preferred multi-services operator for people in Africa and the Middle East."

Stéphane Richard, Chairman and CEO of Orange, added: "Orange is one of the rare international groups to have made the strategic choice, 20 years ago, to seek to develop in Africa and the Middle East. We have always been convinced of the immense potential of this region. In many ways, it can be seen as a model for digital transformation; mobile money is a great example of this. One of the key success factors behind new services is to develop them in Africa so that they are adapted to specific local requirements and so meet the needs of our customers. That is why we have decided to organise the management of our business in Africa and the Middle East from within the region directly from the African continent."

Orange provided a brief breakdown of contribution to regional GDP across its footprint, including 8% in Cameroon, 8.2% in Guinea, 11% in Côte d'Ivoire and 11.2% in Senegal.

The company says it invests €1-billion per year in its networks serving Africa and the Middle East.

In early January 2020 the media has reported that Orange is planning a US$1-billion IPO for Orange MEA and has appointed Morgan Stanley and BNP Paribas to lead the process.