Knowledge Economic City Al-Madinah (KEC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global IT services provider Wipro in which the two will work together in assessing viable opportunities for KEC to utilize Wipro based solutions and assess the possibility of developing an ICT related Research & Development center within the KEC. The agreement was signed by KEC Chairman Sheikh Ibrahim Bin Mohammed Al-Issa and Wipro Chairman Azim Premji. One of the key points to the MoU is that both parties will work together in establishing a Wipro Academy to provide IT related training in KEC. Al-Issa said the MoU is the beginning of a collaboration that will utilize Wipro's innovative technology in KEC. “Wipro are one of the largest IT service providers in the world,” he said. “They bring with them decades of experience and a work force large enough to provide a full support system to KEC.” We will be working together in areas of research and development, as well as establishing a joint education institute for the training of IT professionals,” Al-Issa added. KEC CEO Tahir Bawazir added that “under the MOU, Wipro will cooperate with KEC in corporate social responsibility initiatives which enhance the local community's IT basic skills. Wipro employs around 85,000 people internationally and have over two decades experience training people; we'll use this expertise in the local market to up-skill the Saudi people.” The signing ceremony held in Jeddah was attended, among others, by Wipro Arabia Vice President A. Nagarajan; Anurag Srivastav, vice president consulting divison; Durga Prasad, general manager products division; and Muayad Al- Kabbani; business development manager. The KEC side includes Sheikh Saleh Mohammed Bin Laden, deputy chairman; and Dr. Sami Baroum, member of the board of directors. __
