BT plans hiring spree across Middle East

The British telecoms operator plans to raise its headcount in the region by 25%.

Dubai winning the Expo 2020 is another trigger for BT’s investment, Wael El Kabbany, BT vice president for the Middle East and North Africa region, said. Lionel Healing / Bloomberg News

British Telecommunications plans to increase its headcount in the Middle East by 25 per cent over the coming year, as it seeks to tap into opportunities in the region.

Part of the reason is Expo 2020.

“Just this year [2013-14] we are adding 20 more jobs in the Middle East. Those will represent around 25 per cent in our workforce. It is massive. The previous wave we have added 20 jobs as well,” said Wael El Kabbany, BT vice president for the Middle East and North Africa region.

Mr El Kabbany’s remarks came yesterday after a global announcement by BT to capture opportunities in the Asia-Pacific, Turkey, and the Middle East and Africa region (Amea) — a market evaluated to be worth about £32 billion (Dh192bn).

BT also plans more than 400 new hires across Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia and the UAE, as it expects the Amea regions combined to generate 44 per cent of global GDP growth by 2025.

“The stronger growth is in the Gulf. We have a very good strategy for North Africa, but it’s definitely not on the highest priority. The highest priority is on the Gulf. We are not taking our investment plan aggressively in North Africa. We are still focused on the Gulf market,” said Mr El Kabbany.

He added that Dubai’s Expo 2020 is another trigger for BT’s investment.

“I don’t think that even with this existing plan today, that we will cover our aspiration for Expo. Are we in planning for it? Definitely – we are putting the strategy to address a challenge and an opportunity like the Expo,” he said.

The British telecoms and broadband provider is also establishing the first global centre of excellence for the airlines industry out of the UAE. BT is already serving a number of airlines in the region, such as Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Kuwait Airlines.

“The centre of excellence is the hub of BT expertise across the world in a specific industry. Most of the research and development and products are being made there,” said Mr El Kabbany.

“We have seen the demand that we are getting from the airline industry. [It] is putting a lot of pressure on the way that we are serving them today. We want to tune better our propositions and develop further propositions to better serve their requirements,” Mr El Kabbany added.

Etihad is currently using BT’s services to connect its operations around the world.

Across the region, BT this month met Bahraini government officials to establish the Gulf country as a hub for voice calls made over internet protocol. The move will contribute to the lowering of international call prices for telecoms operators in Bahrain. It will also lead to improving the quality of calls for both mobile and fixed lines.