RIYADH, January 21, 2008 - His Excellency Amr Al Dabbagh, Governor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), and John Chambers, Cisco chairman and chief executive officer, today inaugurated the "Smart Office" of SAGIA's new Riyadh head office, a state-of-the-art building powered by next-generation infrastructure from Cisco.
Based on Cisco's Connected Real Estate architecture, the SAGIA head office is designed with an intelligent architecture that merges information, communication and building technologies into one enabling infrastructure. Such design will provide the foundation for streamlined operations, increased revenues, and enhanced services.
His Excellency Amr Al Dabbagh confirmed that advanced technology plays an preeminent role in today's real estate sector. "The Cisco next-generation network will enable us to reduce costs and complexity by replacing disparate communications, security, and building systems with one simplified, flexible, and scalable IP network."
His Excellency added: "SAGIA is committed to promoting the incorporation of technology across various sectors in the Kingdom to help businesses enhance productivity and services."
The new building is set to improve workforce effectiveness by facilitating enhanced communications and collaboration with solutions that integrate voice, video, and data services over a converged IP network. Cisco's infrastructure will also give employees access to mobility solutions, including Wi-Fi, integrated paging, and Bluetooth, to ensure access to time-critical communications at any time, and anywhere, whether on or off the property.
"Cisco is committed to continuing its close work with the public and private sector in the Kingdom to help developers generate new revenue streams by being able to offer the latest services while reducing capital and operating expenses," stated Paul Mountford, president of Cisco Emerging Markets. "Tenants also benefit because they have access to faster connectivity, higher quality and more reliable services."
He added: "Saudi Arabia continues to be a pioneer who truly understands the power of harnessing the intelligence of the most advanced technologies and applying them in business solutions for the real estate sector. SAGIA's fully converged new headquarters in Riyadh is a true testament to SAGIA's commitment to realizing the benefits of having a 21st century network able to support many diverse technical application needs."
About SAGIA
SAGIA is the gateway to investment in Saudi Arabia. SAGIA's mission is to create a pro-business environment, provide comprehensive services to investors and foster investment opportunities in energy, transportation and knowledge-based industries.
SAGIA was created by the Government of Saudi Arabia in April 2000, when it announced a new Foreign Investment Law. SAGIA has since been actively working with the government and other agencies toward a Saudi development vision for the 21st century.