DELL EMC has introduced numerous platforms and initiatives over the years, such as the Technology Associates program to recruit talented young Saudi nationals, enroll them in training programs followed by a technical mentorship program, to guide them through the early stages of their careers. DELL EMC sells data storage, information security, virtualization, analytics, cloud computing and other products and services that enable organizations to store, manage, protect, and analyze data. Kamal Othman, GM, Saudi Arabia, Dell EMC, expressed the company's stance on how it contributes toward the Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program 2020. In an interview, he said DELL EMC contributes in the further development of the Saud youth through the Dell EMC Academic Alliance Program, Dell EMC continues to reach out to young Saudi nationals enrolled at leading universities across the Kingdom and the larger region to equip these students with knowledge about the latest technologies and the skills needed to operate in the constantly changing environments of the future. He said that "as a core member of the ICT community and a leader in IT transformation, we at Dell EMC believe that we have a responsibility to support these objectives and assume the role of a trusted advisor as we work towards achieving the vision of a smart, innovation-backed nation that aims to offer its citizens and wider community a sustainable future and improved quality of life." Excerpts from the interview follow: In terms of knowledge transfer, could you elaborate on DELL EMC initiatives/contribution? Through our knowledge-sharing platform such as the Public Sector Workshop, held in the Kingdom for the past four years, Dell EMC has always been committed to aiding businesses in the Kingdom with the best practices necessary to keep pace with the digital revolution. The fourth edition of the Public Sector Workshop this year engaged over 100 IT leaders and addressed the IT challenges that could potentially hinder economic growth in Saudi Arabia. To what extent does DELL EMC contribute to supporting the Saudi economic diversification? With Dell EMC coming together, our customers and partners can now leverage a trusted advisor who has a rich understanding of this region, extends an unparalleled portfolio of advanced technologies to meet diverse business needs and offers best in class expertise. We look forward to bringing the power of our combined investment in R&D – more than $12.7 billion over the last three years to extend the industry's most complete set of capabilities to help businesses across the Kingdom thrive in a digital era and accelerate their efforts towards economic diversification. How can DELL EMC provide support in terms of developing the Saudi women? Dell EMC has successfully launched multiple initiatives in Saudi Arabia with an aim to bring women to the fore as key enablers of IT. For example, the annual graduation project competition, which was open to senior undergraduate students enrolled in our Academic Alliance program, saw over 270 entries – out of which 40% of the entries constituted of women. To what extent does DELL EMC contribute toward creating new Jobs or supporting Saudization, leveraging local talent..etc.? Through the Dell EMC Academic Alliance, established back in 2007, we have always aimed to reach out to as many universities as possible across the Kingdom to develop a much bigger pool of talent that will then be available to Dell EMC and all the companies in the local ICT market. The Dell EMC Academic Alliance is one of a kind initiative that helps us bridge the knowledge gap in the industry and allows us prepare the Saudi youth for successful careers in the new and constantly changing information and communications technology (ICT) industry. How would you describe DELL EMC's role in terms of improving the Saudi infrastructure, efficiency, automation or cloud computing? Dell Technologies – Dell, Dell EMC, VMware, Pivotal, RSA, SecureWorks and Virtustream – is a unique family of businesses delivering the products and services needed for businesses to realize their digital future, transform IT and protect their most important asset, information. Dell Technologies brings together strong capabilities in the fastest-growing areas of the industry including hybrid cloud, software-defined data center, converged infrastructure, platform-as-a-service, data analytics, mobility and cybersecurity, all of which remain central to business transformation and will help achieve the national vision.
