IFS appoints Rahul Misra as SVP & Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa
In his new role, Rahul will lead IFS's growth strategy across key MEA markets, scale the company's regional presence, strengthen strategic partnerships, and elevate the customer experience.
A visionary business and technology leader, Rahul brings more than 25 years of experience in driving transformation, fostering high-performance teams, and leading enterprise growth across the Middle East and Africa. He joins IFS after an 18-year career at Oracle, where he held several strategic leadership positions, most recently heading the Cloud Applications business across the Gulf and South Africa. Under his leadership, the business achieved consistent double-digit growth and drove significant industry and regional transformation.
Hannes Liebe, President for APJMEA at IFS, commented: 'We are thrilled to welcome Rahul Misra to the IFS leadership team. The Middle East and Africa represents one of our most strategic growth regions globally, with nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading ambitious national transformation agendas and infrastructure development across Africa gaining rapid momentum. Our strengths in Enterprise Asset Management, Service Management, and Cloud ERP—underpinned by IFS.ai—are perfectly aligned with the needs of asset and service-intensive industries in these markets, including oil and gas, utilities, construction, engineering, and aerospace & defence. Rahul's deep expertise, regional insight, and strong leadership make him the ideal choice to lead this exciting next chapter'.
Rahul Misra, SVP & Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, said: 'IFS is entering a defining phase of its journey—crossing €1 billion in ARR and experiencing exceptional momentum in the adoption of IFS.ai. The Middle East and Africa is a region full of promise, where visionary national programs like Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the UAE's innovation-led economic transformation, and the continent-wide infrastructure acceleration in Africa are creating powerful tailwinds for digital and industrial innovation. With IFS's global leadership in Enterprise Asset and Service Management, and a modern, composable Cloud ERP platform, we are uniquely positioned to create lasting value for customers across the region. I'm excited to work with our customers and partners to deliver meaningful outcomes and set new benchmarks for success'.
Rahul succeeds Mehmood Khan, who after six successful years leading the MEA region, will transition into a broader executive role as Vice President, Install Base and Success for APJMEA. Under Mehmood's leadership, IFS MEA experienced transformative growth and strengthened its reputation as a trusted digital transformation partner.
'We thank Mehmood for his outstanding contributions and leadership. His impact has been instrumental in shaping the region's success, and we look forward to the value he will continue to deliver in his expanded role', added Hannes Liebe.
Image Credit: IFS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arabian Post
2 days ago
- Arabian Post
Saudi Arabia Unveils New Real Estate Ownership Law for Foreigners
Saudi Arabia has revealed the complete details of a groundbreaking law that regulates real estate ownership by non-Saudis, following its approval by the Cabinet earlier this month. The law, which will be enacted 180 days from its publication, signals a significant shift in the Kingdom's stance towards foreign ownership of property, opening up new opportunities for individuals, companies, and non-profit entities abroad. The law, published in the official gazette Umm Al-Qura, outlines a comprehensive framework allowing non-Saudis to acquire property or establish real rights over land in the country. The key element of the reform is its establishment of specific geographic zones where foreign ownership is permitted, a move expected to attract considerable international investment. The Cabinet will play a pivotal role in defining the boundaries of these designated areas, which are likely to be concentrated in key urban and economic hubs such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and the Eastern Province. While the precise locations are yet to be announced, officials indicate that the decision will be based on strategic economic priorities, aiming to stimulate growth and diversification in critical sectors like tourism, hospitality, and logistics. ADVERTISEMENT One of the core principles of the new law is its flexibility. Unlike previous regulations, which were highly restrictive, the law grants non-Saudis the opportunity to own real estate in various forms, including commercial and residential properties. The legislation outlines conditions under which foreign entities can acquire land, offering them the chance to leverage the Kingdom's thriving economy and vibrant business environment. This legal shift is expected to have a transformative impact on Saudi Arabia's real estate market. Analysts predict an influx of foreign capital as investors look to take advantage of the Kingdom's growing appeal as a regional hub. The move is also seen as a step towards diversifying the economy, in line with the objectives set out in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to reduce the Kingdom's dependence on oil revenues and foster sustainable growth through non-oil sectors. Experts note that while the law represents a major departure from previous policies, it does not open up the entire country to foreign ownership. Instead, the policy is focused on ensuring that foreign property holdings contribute meaningfully to the national economy. The Cabinet will likely impose further regulations to balance the interests of local stakeholders with the benefits of foreign investment. The move could foster job creation, provide a boost to construction and development projects, and potentially increase the demand for high-quality infrastructure in designated zones. The new law also highlights Saudi Arabia's efforts to modernise its regulatory environment, providing clarity for international investors who have long been wary of the Kingdom's real estate market due to its complex legal framework. While non-Saudis have previously been able to invest in real estate through specific channels like joint ventures and special economic zones, this new legislation offers a more straightforward path for foreign ownership, which could position Saudi Arabia as a competitive player in the global real estate market. For real estate developers and global companies, this development could mean greater opportunities to tap into a burgeoning market. Large-scale projects, such as the NEOM city and Red Sea tourism initiatives, could see increased international interest as foreign ownership regulations become more transparent and accessible. ADVERTISEMENT However, there are still questions about the long-term implications of these changes. While the law offers new avenues for foreign investment, there are concerns about the potential impact on local property prices and the availability of affordable housing for Saudi citizens. Critics argue that an influx of foreign capital might inflate property values, making it harder for Saudis to purchase homes. The government is expected to address these concerns through policies that safeguard the interests of the local population, ensuring that housing remains affordable for citizens. The government's strategy also includes efforts to ensure that foreign investments contribute to the broader goals of economic diversification. By allowing foreign ownership in select zones, the Kingdom hopes to align property investments with its broader economic objectives, particularly in sectors like tourism, entertainment, and high-tech industries. For non-Saudis looking to invest, the new law provides a clearer roadmap for property ownership. Investors will need to navigate a system that offers greater transparency and less bureaucratic red tape than previous regulations. While specific details on the process of acquiring property remain to be fully clarified, the law marks a significant shift toward openness, making it more appealing to foreign capital.
Channel Post MEA
3 days ago
- Channel Post MEA
Oracle And Digital Realty To Accelerate AI And Cloud Innovation
Digital Realty has announced that it is working with Oracle to help organizations accelerate hybrid IT and AI adoption. Through Oracle Cloud Solution Centers, a program that includes state-of-the-art systems, technology, and customer-experience sites around the world, Digital Realty will be able to provide organizations with access to services that help them reduce time to market and streamline deployment. 'Our collaboration with Oracle underscores our shared commitment to helping customers navigate the complexity of hybrid IT and AI adoption. By leveraging our Pervasive Data Center Architecture (PDx) and Oracle's technologies, we're bringing cloud and AI capabilities directly to the data, where customers need them. This will help our customers to achieve faster innovation, together with Oracle, reducing deployment friction and accelerating outcomes,' said Tony Bishop , Senior Vice President of Enterprise and Platform Solutions, Digital Realty. With Oracle Solution Centers, Digital Realty, an Oracle FastConnect partner, can provide data center cloud-adjacent, colocation, multicloud, and interconnection services to global customers. In addition, customers can gain access to a portfolio of jointly developed use cases and deployment-ready architectures to streamline adoption and help accelerate innovation. Customers benefit from: Oracle Solution Centers on PlatformDIGITAL: To provide customers with a secure environment to design, test, and validate hybrid and AI architectures, Oracle Solution Centers are available through PlatformDIGITAL, Digital Realty's global data center platform, in Singapore , Frankfurt , and Northern Virginia , with virtual access via London . To provide customers with a secure environment to design, test, and validate hybrid and AI architectures, Oracle Solution Centers are available through PlatformDIGITAL, Digital Realty's global data center platform, in , , and , with virtual access via . Verified Use Cases : To help customers modernize their IT and take advantage of the latest AI and cloud innovations, Digital Realty and Oracle have developed a library of 15 infrastructure configurations across cloud, data, and AI. : To help customers modernize their IT and take advantage of the latest AI and cloud innovations, Digital Realty and Oracle have developed a library of 15 infrastructure configurations across cloud, data, and AI. Integrated Solutions: To help customers accelerate implementation and interconnection of PlatformDIGITAL with ServiceFabric, Digital Realty's service orchestration platform, three PDx solutions are now available. These solutions provide a methodology and blueprint for optimizing data exchange in a distributed IT infrastructure. Full deployment toolkits are also available for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Dedicated Region, Oracle Exadata, and Oracle FastConnect. To help customers accelerate implementation and interconnection of PlatformDIGITAL with ServiceFabric, Digital Realty's service orchestration platform, three PDx solutions are now available. These solutions provide a methodology and blueprint for optimizing data exchange in a distributed IT infrastructure. Full deployment toolkits are also available for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Dedicated Region, Oracle Exadata, and Oracle FastConnect. Global Expertise: To guide customers through proof-of-concept deployments and accelerate the exploration, validation, and adoption of data-driven solutions, trained solution architecture and engineering teams from Digital Realty and Oracle are available at the Oracle Solution Centers. Customers are already seeing significant benefits from the continued partnership. For example, according to a case study, Grupo Anaya leveraged Oracle FastConnect on PlatformDIGITAL in an Oracle Solution Center to reduce its latency and network costs by approximately 75% and improve end-user performance by up to 40%, achieving these results a full year ahead of schedule. 'We are simplifying the journey to cloud and AI adoption. Oracle Solution Centers integration with Digital Realty's colocation and connectivity solutions enables customers to architect and deploy cloud and AI workloads confidently, with a clear and seamless blueprint for success,' said Patrick Cyril , Global Vice President, Sales and Customer Excellence, Customer Success Services, Oracle. Industry Perspective 'This collaboration between Digital Realty and Oracle is a strong example of how ecosystem partnerships can accelerate real-world adoption of data-driven infrastructure, from hybrid IT and AI. By combining global infrastructure with use cases, integrated solutions, and hands-on expertise, Digital Realty and Oracle are helping enterprises reduce complexity, shorten deployment timelines, and turn data into a strategic asset more quickly and effectively,' said Courtney Munroe , Research Vice President, IDC.
Channel Post MEA
3 days ago
- Channel Post MEA
Wipro Bags Multi-Year Strategic Contract From Saudi Electric Company
Wipro Limited has announced a multi-year strategic contract from Saudi Electric Company – National Grid SA. Wipro will implement a Smart Meter Data Management (MDM) system for the transmission network to modernize the client's meter data platform, enhance operational efficiencies, and better manage risks. 'We are excited to build a long-standing relationship with National Grid SA and are dedicated to assisting them in navigating the evolving energy landscape,' said Vinay Firake, CEO – Asia Pacific, India, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Wipro Limited. 'With our deep domain expertise in the energy sector, smart solutions and advanced technological capabilities, we are proud to contribute to projects that are essential to the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and help the Kingdom realize its innovation and digitalization ambitions.' Wipro will design, develop, implement, and support the infrastructure and smart applications for the new MDM system. Through continuous monitoring, the system will improve grid stability by providing real-time data on power flow, voltage, and equipment data. Wipro will enable National Grid SA to improve its grid planning through intelligent forecasting and reporting. The intelligent integrations will support proactive maintenance, faster fault identification, and enhance visibility of energy usage patterns. This will allow National Grid SA to optimize its power dispatch, reduce operational costs, and minimize outages, leading to optimal experiences for the end user.
