Microsoft Middle East and Africa has appointed a new general manager to head Microsoft Arabia. Dr. Khaled Al-Dhaher will take up the post from Dec. 20, with particular focus on building local operations to help grow the Saudi subsidiary. Al-Dhaher, a Saudi national, was born in Riyadh in 1963. He graduated with degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from Dhahran’s King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals. Then, in 1992, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Al-Dhaher brings to Microsoft Arabia many years of experience in the IT industry in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, having worked for a number of IT multinationals in the region. The appointment marks his return to Microsoft – he was previously employed as enterprise customer unit manager, Microsoft Gulf before joining Oracle. He has also worked for AT&T and NCR in the region. “I am very pleased to be rejoining Microsoft, particularly at this exciting time in the development of the company in the region. The opportunity to introduce new initiatives with partners and with communities at a truly local level is very exciting, and I am proud to be able to lead our efforts in Saudi Arabia,” Al-Dhaher said.
One of Al-Dhaher’s focus areas will be rolling out projects and initiatives to help increase IT literacy in the Kingdom. Microsoft Arabia wants to work with the government and education sectors in Saudi Arabia to develop schemes to increase confidence with IT in communities and to help create an IT workforce.
“Along with maintaining our partnerships across all sectors, Microsoft Arabia realizes the needs of local communities in the Kingdom, and under Khaled’s management, Microsoft Arabia is committed to working to build the ICT sector in the Kingdom,” said Emre Berkin, VP, Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We are committed to working with the government on projects that are key in realizing the potential of every man, woman and child and the general local community in Saudi Arabia.”