DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - October 17 2011 - SAP has announced the appointment of Qais Gharaibeh to the role of Managing Director for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this role, Gharaibeh will lead SAP's growth strategy and field operations in the country, and will report into Sam Alkharrat, Managing Director, SAP Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Gharaibeh is an IT veteran with more than 15 years of experience in the Middle East high-tech industry.

In the past 10 years, he has served in key management roles with major players such as EMC and HP, demonstrating a strong track record and exceeding targets in both business growth and market share gain. Last year, Gharaibeh founded and led ENCLOUD, an IT Manager Service Provider focused on Cloud Computing subscription-based services in the Middle East.

Commenting on Ghairabeh's appointment, Sam Alkharrat, SAP MENA MD, said:

"The UAE represents a strategic priority for SAP, with businesses across the country seeking to deploy advanced software solutions - including Analytics and Mobility - that will enable them to gain competitive advantage and accelerate their business growth. Drawing on his impressive track-record, Qais will be integral to steering and building on our current success in the region and achieving success with our customers and partners."

Kevin Scott, who was previously the Country Manager for SAP MENA Growth Markets and interim UAE Country Manager, has taken on the role of Vice President for SAP's High Performance Analytics Appliance (HANA) software business across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

In November 2010, SAP MENA announced it would double its resources within the next two years, with the majority of headcount focused on solution delivery. Today, the region hosts more than 2100 qualified consultants and 75+ partners.

The company's work in the region is not all about the bottom line, however.

Last year, the knowledge and vocation-inspiring University Alliance program welcomed seven new members, bumping up the Middle Eastern membership total to 21, strengthening the company's value among government entities and further cementing its 'Employer of Choice' credentials.

Other recent initiatives to support regional industries include launching a Centre of Excellence to assist Saudi Arabian Chemical companies and an MoU with ictQatar to become an anchor tenant at the Digital Content Cluster, providing cloud computing services for start-ups and small and medium enterprises.

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