Geared For Growth: ZainTECH CEO Andrew Hanna On His Enterprise Completing Two Successful Years Since launching in 2021, ZainTECH has been positioned to drive the transformation of enterprise and government customers in the MENA region.

As ZainTECH, a regional integrated digital solutions provider that is a sister company of Kuwait-headquartered mobile telecommunications provider Zain Group, celebrates its second year of operations, its CEO Andrew Hanna is certainly pleased to look back at the results his enterprise has achieved in this period. "Just over the past year, we've achieved remarkable year-on-year revenue growth, which reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional services and solutions," he says. "Our team has expanded significantly, with over 700 focused information and communications technology (ICT) professionals serving a growing customer base in eight MENA countries and across several industries, including telco, government, oil and gas, retail, and financial services."

Since launching in 2021, ZainTECH has been positioned to drive the transformation of enterprise and government customers in the MENA region by providing a centre of excellence and managed solutions across cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, digital solutions, drones, and robotics. "We work closely with our customers to define and drive their business outcomes, ensuring expedited delivery and risk mitigation by leveraging our extensive network of regional centers of expertise, in-country cloud-based platforms, and digital assets across the MENA," Hanna says. "ZainTECH's holistic approach significantly reduces upfront capital requirements, and propels businesses to new heights of digital excellence, while driving a more sustainable future for companies and the communities they serve."

ZainTECH also counts startups and SMEs as an important segment of their clientele, and as such, Hanna says that the enterprise makes it a point to offer customized solutions and specialized expertise tailored to their unique requirements and budget constraints. "Our scalable technology solutions empower businesses to grow at their own pace, and our wide portfolio of cloud, cybersecurity, AI and big data, drones and robotics, and digital solutions provide endless possibilities for optimizing operations and driving innovation," Hanna explains.

The management of Zain's digital enterprise unit ZainTECH and Dubai Internet City at the opening of ZainTECH's new ICT hub in Dubai Internet City. Source: ZainTECH

It's in line with this ethos that ZainTECH recently established a state-of-the-art ICT Hub at Dubai Internet City that will not only serve as an operational centre of excellence, but also drive technological initiatives and synergies across business units. "Our new offices serve as a testament to our unwavering commitment to nurturing innovation and pioneering transformative solutions that unleash boundless potential for our customers," Hanna says. "As the mission critical centre for ZainTECH's operations, our new ICT Hub will drive technological initiatives and synergies across the business, empowering us to expand and target new markets."

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Besides Hanna, the launch event for the new ICT Hub was attended by Bader Al-Kharafi, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Zain, Abdulla Belhoul, CEO of TECOM Group, Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM Group, and others. Commenting on the hub's launch, Al Malik says, "Cross-functional collaboration is the cornerstone for unleashing the full potential of innovation at a scale that transforms the way industries operate. Dubai Internet City is aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) mandate to catalyze such collaborative synergies, and ZainTECH's new office within our ecosystem ensures its talent pool across the world can seamlessly exchange ideas and knowledge from Dubai, a global market of significance for innovators and digital transformation experts. We welcome ZainTECH to benefit from the shared knowledge pool and innovations nurtured at our district."

Here, Hanna notes that he finds expanding into and becoming successful in the UAE easier than in other parts of the world, because "the UAE is proving to be extremely industrious," he says. "There are very few commercial entities and think tanks, let alone government ministries or agencies around the globe, which are taking such an open and progressive approach towards spreading knowledge about emerging technologies in the way the UAE is," Hanna explains. "The UAE was one of the first countries globally to create a ministry dedicated to the advancement of AI, and as countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia race to purchase Nvidia chips, for example, it is becoming clear that the evolution and impact of technology innovation is a strong indication of where national and economic influence and prosperity will be derived from in the future."

Bader Al-Kharafi, Vice-Chairman and Group CEO of Zain, Abdulla Belhoul CEO of TECOM Group, Andrew Hanna CEO of ZainTECH, and Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM Group. Source: ZainTECH

Meanwhile, with an aim to provide customers with the solutions that can fully maximize their gains from digital transformation, ZainTECH has also recently embarked on an acquisition spree, starting with buying BIOS Middle East, a regional managed secure cloud provider, and Adfolks, a UAE-based cloud-native engineering firm that provides a comprehensive range of cloud transformation services. "Most recently, during GITEX Global 2023, we announced entering an agreement for the complete acquisition of Specialized Technical Services Company (STS), one of the pioneering and largest digital transformation solutions providers in the region and the Kingdom of Jordan," Hanna adds. "This strategic move will enable ZainTECH to expand its service offerings to enterprises and government bodies, access top talent, foster innovation, and enhance its competitive position across the region."

Now, looking back on ZainTECH's origins, Hanna believes that the enterprise was able to start off on the right foot thanks to the support it got from its parent company, Zain Group, especially with respect to access to latest technologies as well as well-trained staff. This, in turn, has set the company up for long-term success. "Since the time we were established, we have been growing our capabilities," Hanna says. "We continue to expand the breadth and depth of our offerings organically, and collaborate with technology partners to provide our clients with the best possible products and services. At the same time, we have been actively pursuing acquisitions as part of our growth strategy by identifying several entities that can add significant value, while, at the same time, leveraging their competencies and market experience."

Andrew Hanna, CEO, ZainTECH. Source: ZainTECH

Building a successful team has also contributed to the company's results, and Hanna shares that his secret to management is in delegating, recognizing, and rewarding his staff, while also avoiding micromanaging and criticizing. "I believe in delegating authority to capable individuals, and in order for this approach to work, you have to attract the right people to your team," he says. "I find that when people have the skills, motivation, and a strong sense of ownership, they always go the extra mile and succeed in everything they do."

That said, the continued success of ZainTECH lies in truly understanding its customers' technological needs, Hanna says. "Technology is developing at an extremely fast pace, and enterprises can sometimes become overwhelmed with respect to what technologies and utilization models they need to implement for maximum impact," he says. "Our industry-specialized digital advisors and local delivery teams work side-by-side with our customers to simplify their digital transformation journeys, ensuring they future-proof their operations, and remain competitive."

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