SAP Middle East & North Africa announced yesterday that it has formed a strategic partnership with Kuwait University to create the country’s first SAP University Competence Center (UCC), a comprehensive certification program designed to support the needs of Kuwait’s growing knowledge-based economy.
Underlining the importance of collaboration between the education and private sectors, the new UCC will equip Kuwaiti students with IT and business process management skills essential to the development of Kuwait’s service-based industries.
“Education is needed to fuel the Kuwaiti economy and ensure long-term growth. SAP is well positioned to develop a curriculum that will enable our students to learn how to build the best IT framework – one that will enhance Kuwait’s competitiveness by laying the groundwork for success,” said Prof. Taher Al-Sahhaf, Dean, Kuwait University.
Located on-site at the Kuwait University campus in Kuwait City, the SAP University Competence Center will be part of the global SAP University Alliance program, a higher learning initiative that provides hands-on education in a range of SAP products currently being used by companies around the world.
Through the development of these sought-after skills, SAP believes that graduates will be prepared for Kuwait’s growing modernization and economic diversification, which is creating opportunities for IT services in a range of key industries.
“By joining forces with Kuwait University, we are helping prepare the country’s next generation of knowledge workers to build the IT infrastructure necessary for Kuwait’s diversification strategy to succeed,” said Sergio Maccotta, Managing Director, SAP Middle East and North Africa.
Kuwait’s telecommunication, banking and retail sectors in particular are witnessing strong demand for project implementation, managed services and outsourcing as market liberalization and development is encouraging companies to implement solutions that will increase operational efficiency.
According to research group Business Monitor International (BMI), the Kuwaiti IT services market is valued at US$162 million, with market size expected to reach approximately US$258 million by 2012.
Photo caption: From left to right: Khaled Al Zamel, Assistant Professor, University of
About Kuwait University
University of Kuwait offers a profound learning experience, symbolizing the students hope for tomorrow. Its programs are diverse and competitive, challenging minds, inducing critical thinking and encouraging creativity through a multitude of exposures, interactions and experiences that are unique, and intellectually stimulating. The university's 14 colleges offer wide ranging programs in sciences and humanities at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels, with an internationally renowned and culturally diverse community of professors and academicians, providing the highest level of teaching, research and scholarship.
About SAP
SAP is the world’s leading provider of business software*. Today, more than 43,400 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP® applications—from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small businesses and midsize companies to suite offerings for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver® technology platform to drive innovation and enable business change, SAP software helps enterprises of all sizes around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP solution portfolios support the unique business processes of more than 25 industries, including high tech, retail, financial services, healthcare and the public sector. With subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol “SAP.” (Additional information at <http://www.sap.com>)
(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, product life-cycle management and supplier relationship management.
