Global technology leader Cisco is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its establishment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this month.
During this time, Cisco has become a key contributor to the Kingdom’s innovation journey, through initiatives such as the Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program.
Cisco CDA works through an ecosystem of partners and contributes to digital transformation initiatives in national priority sectors including energy, healthcare, education and smart and sustainable cities. Through CDA, Cisco helped local healthcare providers implement tele-consultation services for patients in remote areas, created hybrid learning environments and used Wi-Fi 6 and the latest networking solutions to help digitize university campuses.
To support the development of digital skills, Cisco Networking Academy has been active in the Kingdom since the year 2000. To date, more than 225,000 students have acquired IT and networking skills at more than 100 local academies. With one third of the students being girls and women, Saudi Arabia registers one of the highest female participation rates in the program globally.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary in the country, Cisco is supporting the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant 10 billion trees across the Kingdom. As part of its new ‘Let’s make it green’ campaign, Cisco is working with Faseel, the Saudi environmental development foundation, to plant 2,500 plants in Thadeq National Park.
“At Cisco we are proud to celebrate 25 years of success in Saudi Arabia. Our presence reflects our commitment to support the Kingdom’s digital transformation agenda. Over the years, Cisco has played an important role in building digital and green communities through various initiatives, and the ‘Let’s make it green’ campaign is no different. As Saudi Arabia continues on its digitization journey, Cisco is ready to provide its technology and expertise to make it possible,” said Reem Asaad, Vice President, Cisco Middle East and Africa.
“During all these years, Cisco has been at the forefront of delivering technology thought leadership and innovations to the Kingdom, achieving several milestones with our partners, customers and employees, for whose trust and loyalty I am immensely grateful. Today, 82% of the Kingdom’s population agree that access to fast and reliable internet is critical to future economic growth[1]. Our solutions in networking, cybersecurity, collaboration, data center and mobility are used across all sectors of the economy. In addition, with investments in programs such as CDA and Cisco Networking Academy, and our focus on diversity and equal opportunities, we are contributing to the creation of a vibrant and inclusive digital economy in light of Vision 2030,” Salman Abdulghani Faqeeh, Managing Director, Cisco Saudi Arabia added.