Mideast CIOs 'up to five years behind West'

YEARS BEHIND: Bayeh said CIOs in the region feel they are still up to five years behind their counterparts in the West. (Getty Images)

Chief information officers (CIOs) in the Middle East believe they are up to five years behind their counterparts in the West, a senior executive at IT research and advisory firm Gartner told Arabian Business on Monday.

Speaking during a brief trip to Dubai, Elias Bayeh, EMEA vice president of Executive Programmes, said the impression of IT professionals in the Gulf is still that of a "plumbing role" and not a critical part of a business.

“[IT] hasn’t reached a level where people think it is a critical part of running a business and that CIOs don’t just run computers but generate revenue or [contribute towards] better customer service,” Bayeh said in an interview.

Bayeh said the job description for CIOs is undergoing a “radical change” in the region, but there is still a long way to do.

“The role of the CIO is becoming less more of a technical persona and more of a business person... [however] CIOs believe this region is three to five years behind in terms of implementing this type of CIO,” he said.

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