Axis Communications appoints new Middle East Country Manager

Al Akkad brings more than nine years of sales and product management experience in the Network Video market and will be responsible for building on current business relations with partners & customers across the region.

Commenting on his appointment, Al Akkad said, "This is an exciting move and I am confident that my substantial experience will hold me and my team in good stead to steer Axis's operations in the Middle East. I look forward to build on the joint achievements of the current management team, and develop Axis Communications leading position in the ongoing shift from analog to digital video surveillance and extend our market presence through our unique set of partnership programs."

Prior to this assignment, Al Akkad was Axis' Regional Sales Manager in the MENA region where he was exposed to a number of diverse markets and was able to implement new sales strategies to expand his skill set and improve the growth rate.

Axis continues to grow from strength to strength, building on its leadership position not only in sales but also in terms of employees. The company today celebrates their move to bigger offices in the UAE serving the ME regional markets including GCC, Levant, Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Axis's recent move to operate in bigger offices in Dubai Airport Free Zone comes as part of the company's future expansion plans of building a larger training facility while increasing its offering of surveillance solutions across the Middle East region.

According to IMS Research, the Middle East has the highest penetration rate of IP based video surveillance products. Recent surveys conducted by IMS forecast that the penetration rate of IP based surveillance will exceed 50% in 2009. Early adoption and constant demand for new technologies in the ME has significantly contributed to the increasing need for security. A key element of Axis's business strategy involves having specialized partners in place to address customer security needs in a more focused and localized way.