IBM Steps Up Middle East Activity with Qatar Office

RMN Digital | April 16, 2012 | Corporate, Middle East and Africa, Regions, Strategy | No Comments

IBM’s forays in the emerging markets of the world continue with the opening of a new branch office in Doha, Qatar – which was announced today, April 16.

The increased presence in the Middle East region is stated to be in line with IBM’s global geo-expansion strategy, an initiative aimed at strengthening the company’s presence in growth markets.

Working on this strategy, it opened a new branch office in Ludhiana, Punjab as part of its continued geographic expansion across India.

The Ludhiana branch is IBM’s seventh new office to be opened in India in the past 12 months after those in Coimbatore, Indore, Guwahati, Dehradun, Raipur and Visakhapatnam. (Read: IBM Expands in India with Office in Ludhiana, Punjab)

Similarly, the company announced the expansion of its branch office in Port Louis on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean off the South East coast of Africa. (Read: IBM Expands in Africa with Office in Mauritius)

With the aim to strengthen its position in China, IBM also opened its server remanufacturing center in China. The new center, located in Shenzhen, will help reduce the impact of e-waste on the environment by extending the life of older IT equipment that otherwise would go into landfills. (Read: IBM to Remake Old Computers in China)

Then Poland. IBM announced the opening of two new offices in the Polish cities of Katowice and Wroclaw. The new offices are in Poland’s Upper and Lower Silesia regions which have seen some of the country’s strongest economic growth in recent years. (Read: Small is the New Beautiful for IBM; Now in Poland)

According to the company, nearly 100 new IBM branch offices have opened in growth markets since the beginning of 2011.

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“IBM is placing a strong emphasis on investment in the Middle East as we recognize the opportunities presented by high growth rates and an increasingly competitive market. Our expansion strategy in the region is significant and ongoing, and Qatar is a key focus in the market as we undertake that expansion,” said Amr Refaat, IBM general manager for Middle East and Pakistan.

The company’s investment in Qatar is part of a broader plan to tap into new markets across the Middle East and Africa. With the opening of a branch office in Mauritius last month, and in Angola, Senegal and Tanzania in 2011, the new Qatar subsidiary underlines IBM’s plan to increase its presence in growth markets.

IBM first entered the Middle East in the 1940’s and has been delivering solutions and services to industries including the public sector, banking, healthcare, and education.