| In 2013, Amdocs (NASDAQ: DOX) became the first major Israeli technology company to open a branch in Nazareth, Israel’s biggest Arab city. Since, Amdocs has been a leading employer of Arab citizens in Israel’s booming high tech industry—an industry still out of reach for most of the country’s sizable minority. On July 23rd, Ihab Atalla, Head of Amdocs Galilee, discussed the company’s expansion into Arab society in Israel at an Atlanta event co-hosted by the Task Force and Conexx: American Israel Business Connector. He shared why this internationally traded with offices world-wide chose Nazareth when it needed an office to support EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa); and how a well-integrated Jewish-Arab workforce has impacted his staff, Arab society in Israel, and the potential for Israel’s hi tech industry as a whole. Mr. Atalla explained that, first and foremost, Amdocs recognized diversity as a business asset: telecom clients require 24/7 operational support and Amdocs discovered that a diverse staff of Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze Israelis provided overlapping availability. Over time, diversity also proved to be an asset for creativity. Groups of engineers from different backgrounds at Amdocs have a strong track record of developing innovative solutions and being driven to work together to meet and exceed goals. Mr. Atalla also spoke about how the Nazareth branch has affected Arab society in the North. Still today, Arab citizens make up less than 2% of Israel’s hi-tech professionals, despite being 21% of the population. Most Arab students have no role models in their families who worked in advanced fields in Israel, and most still believe they will not be able to find a job in the industry due to social and cultural barriers. Moreover, Arab citizens are less likely to move their families for their careers. Since the majority of Arabs in Israel live in the periphery while most hi tech jobs are in the center, there is a self-selection process at play as well. With a major industry office in the North, young Arab citizens are now envisioning a future in hi tech, and a vibrant start-up scene is developing in Nazareth. Hi tech integration is a major priority for government and civil society leaders in Israel. The industry represents high quality jobs for the Arab population that needs to increase participation in the advanced economy, and the Arab population represents a qualified workforce for an industry that can barely keep up with demand. Expansion of hi tech outside of the center and into the periphery where it brings economic development, jobs, and infrastructure is seen as a powerful strategy towards strengthening Israel’s economy as a whole. Read more about this event in the Atlanta Jewish Times
About the speaker Ihab Atalla, Head of Amdocs Galilee and EMEA regional development, responsible over the EMEA accounts supported from Nazareth Amdocs office responsible over 400 software engineers. Ihab has over 15 years of experience in IT and Telecommunications with a diverse background in Analysis, Design, Programming, Testing, Migration and Implementation, as well as extensive experience in managed services and operational support with wide customer facing experience. Most recently (2011-2014), Ihab served as the customer delivery director (CDM) for America Movil account in the CALA Region. Prior to his CDM role, Ihab had much success in the CBG (customer business group) with positions such as Account Senior Director for Vonage US and several key roles in T-Mobile US, including customer implementation director, senior manager and ongoing production support. Ihab holds four TECHNION Engineering Degrees (2 BSCs & 2 Masters, MBA). BSc in Civil & Industrial Engineering, MSc. in Civil & Environmental Engineering, and a master of business administration (MBA). |
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Do you need support integrating these resources and issues into your philanthropic, communal, or Israel education work? Reach out for consultations, connections to experts, program support, training, or to plan your next event or mission. If you’ve used our resources, tell us about your experience!