Chairman of Wipro Ltd. Azim Premji, who is currently visiting the Kingdom, said that the company was securing a number of deals with companies from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states following the growth reported in the demand of IT services regionally as well as globally.

Addressing a press conference in Riyadh on Monday, Premji, who has overseen Wipro’s growth from a $2 million company to a $6 billion IT giant today, said the company had a huge presence in the Saudi market with over 600 employees, including 160 Saudi nationals. He added that Wipro had seen another strong quarter of overall growth.  Chairman of Wipro Arabia Ltd. Prince Turki A. Abdulrahman was also present, accompanied by the company’s general manager Durga Prasad Y. Wipro Arabia is a joint venture between Wipro and Dar Al-Riyadh.

Premji said he would hold talks with major Wipro customers and his joint-venture partners during his visit. The meetings will focus on several plans and proposals, mainly for offering better services and developing ideas, together with expansion and development of the Wipro business in the Kingdom.  Major sectors from where Wipro expects business in the Gulf region include education, telecommunications and banking, he added.

Premji said Wipro was the first Indian company to build a 100 percent recyclable and toxin-free computer as part of its plan to promote research and development in the IT sector, both in India and overseas.

The eco-friendly Wipro Greenware desktops claim to be completely free from harmful chemicals such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs).

Wipro has also been offering an intensive training program for Saudi youngsters, which lasts three to four months followed by an orientation program. “A number of young Saudis are sent to Wipro’s headquarters in Bangalore, where they are given intensive training before being deployed in the Kingdom,” he added.

Wipro is currently working with clients including King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabian Airlines and Etihad Atheeb Telecommunications. “For the quarter ending June 30, 2010, we expect revenues from Wipro IT services to be in the range of $1.19 billion to $1.2 billion,” he added.

Premji said Wipro Technologies, the information technology services division of Wipro Ltd., opened a new office in Australia. The company will offer consulting, software development and testing, and business process services to clients including Australia-based Origin Energy Ltd. through the new office in Melbourne.