Mr Sindbad Almahaire, Managing Director for BYTEWARE Technology shares professional strategies with Dubai Chronicle. BYTEWARE Technology has been known in the past as the PCCentre, a Dubai based company with twelve years of experience in the IT industry. BYTEWARE provides comprehensive products and services, from LAN and WAN based networks to wireless, dial-up, DSL, ISDN, along with variety of security software.
A media industry veteran with over twenty years of experience in the Middle East region, including TECOM Investments, Heidelberg and the Italian media content service provider Promedia, Sindbad Almahaire shares his professional strategies about conceptualizing and driving high-end business models across diverse global economic hot-spots. Bellow is the full transcript of the interview:
Q.: How long time have you been in Dubai?
A.: I live in the Emirates since 17th of April,1984 and love it.
Q.: Do you find many differences between the business environment of Dubai and the one of your native Lebanon?
A.: Dubai has positioned its self as an international business hub between Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Lebanon is less ambitious and can complement the business environment of Dubai through different sector as for example: media and communication, finance, architecture and trading etc.
Q.: When it comes to information technology and communications business, how is it like to operate in a dynamic economy like Dubai?
A.: The infrastructure and superb services enable many multinational and regional companies to open offices and serve clients in the MENA region quite fast and very efficient.
Q.: Please, tell us about your vision of a team leader. Is it difficult to lead an organization?
A.: Not at all! In fact, with my experience of 26 years and the competency I gained, now I am very much interested into failed organizations and the opportunities to restructure such. It is a challenge to turn a failure into a profitable business.
Q.: Do you observe the IT market in Dubai bounced back from the 2009 recession? Is the worst over for Dubai economy in your opinion?
A.: This is very good question! The IT market is projected to grow in the coming years, not only in the MENA area, but across the world. It is about to experience the highest rate of growth and total spend is expected to reach above US $33 billion. The Gulf region is projected to spend more than US $12 billion dollars alone (source IDC), mainly in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE.
Q.: What is your take on IT outsourcing as a major area of work creation, something predicted to expand rapidly over the next few years?
A.: Due to the projected IT growth, my organization has developed an expansion plan for the next two years. We are looking to set up offices in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.
Q.: Could you point out some of the challenges faced by the media and IT industry in Dubai?
A.: Digital publishing plays a major role in the media industry. Surely, IT is supporting the digital performance and it is providing a platform for growth and development. Recently, I have participated in two interviews for CNBC and Abu Dhabi TV, discussing digital and print publishing on demand.
Q.: What is your strategy to overcome the challenges faced by the industry?
A.: We partner with one of the best companies in Italy among others to provide knowledge, service and consultancy in digital assets management, as well digital content distribution for media and publishing industry.
Q.: What is the most important factor to excel as business leader in the region?
A.: Knowledge, training and hard work, all together!
Q.: How do you motivate people that aren’t close to you and enable them to see your vision?
A.: Provide a value chain and proposition within the respective industry.
Q.: How do you organize yourself?
A.: It is very important to balance between work and family. Planning is the key! I have a complete FY plan and clear KPI for achievement objective, which both can be monitored on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis.
Q.: Any advice to young and ambitious graduates at the bottom of the corporate ladder in Dubai?
A.: To reach the top, you need to start at the bottom.
