STC announced the appointment of Ghassan Hasbani as the CEO of its international operations as part of the new group re-organization. This move follows the appointment of Engineer Saud Al Daweesh as Group CEO in June 2009.
Hasbani joins the group from the global management consulting firm Booz & Company, where he led the firm’s Middle East Communications and Technology practice. He had previously held several positions within the industry in the UK with Cable & Wireless and Nortel Networks, and spent the past ten years operating within the Middle East Region. In addition to the Middle East, his global experience includes markets such as Europe, South East Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Hasbani brings a wide spectrum of capabilities covering all aspects of the telecommunications industry including investment strategies, mergers and acquisitions, post merger integration, marketing, product and service development, organizational restructuring and governance, technology plans, distribution and retail channel management, customer care and business development.
Hasbani holds an Honors degree in Electronics Engineering and an MBA from reputable UK institutions. He is a published author and renowned commentator on industry and management topics.
“We are pleased to announce this appointment which will further strengthen the focus on our international operations as growing global operator” stated Al Daweesh, STC’s Group CEO. “Our new group organization structure underscores our commitment to strengthen and develop our international assets, while providing the right focus on our home market”, Adds Al Daweesh.
STC has expanded internationally in the past two years through a series of acquisitions and licenses covering Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Turkey, South Africa Kuwait and Bahrain. The group today serves more than 70 million subscribers around the world.
“I am looking forward to being part of the STC leadership team during this important phase of the company’s development on the global arena” Commented Hasbani. “The priority is to ensure that all operations work together in harmony and collectively drive the creation of value for individual companies as well as the group”
STC (Saudi Telecom Company) is Saudi Arabia's national telecommunications service provider. The Company offers four key services: (A) Home services, which includes PSTN, broadband DSL, and allows you to Communicate with your friends, family and associates and remain in touch with the world of knowledge. (B) Personal services, which includes messaging services, (post paid & pre paid lines), business services, data services, and roaming services; (C) Enterprise, which is a business data solutions provider; (D) Wholesale, provides network services to other local operators.
Currently, Saudi Telecom has a workforce of more than 21,000 of which 90 percent are Saudi nationals, and proudly serves more than 20 million mobile customers and 4.5 million fixed line subscribers. The Company is the main operator of telecommunications services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has the largest network and infrastructure for mobile services in the Middle East, having installed more than 13,000 mobile base stations spreading over 35,000 sqm of road to cover more than 100% of the inhabited land area.
In the recent years STC grew beyond its local borders and went global forming a network of business and investments in various Gulf countries, Asia, and Africa. The company was awarded the third licenses in Kuwait and Bahrain. And through Maxis, STC now operates in India, Indonesia, Malaysia. Following the 35% acquisition of Oger Telecom, STC has a footprint in Turkey, and South Africa enabling it to provide services to a bigger customer base.
