Cisco heads out east

Networking giant is investing $1.58bn (£810m) in expanding its presence in the Middle East

Cisco is investing in the Middle East

Cisco is investing $1.58bn (£810m) in new offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi this year, reflecting faster-than-average growth in its revenues from the region.

The firm's five year plan will see Cisco spend an additional $400m (£205m) in building up financial services to offer credit to partners and customers.

It is also putting $8bn (£4.1bn) into building new network infrastructure in Riyadh to help the city attract global IT firms looking to establish operations and research facilities in the United Arab Emirates.