(Yicai) Aug. 19 -- China’s Lenovo Group, the world’s largest personal computer maker, has unveiled plans to set up a regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia to accelerate its expansion in the Middle East.

The regional HQ in Saudi Arabia will be located in the Al Majdoul Tower in Riyadh and will support Lenovo’s broader regional strategy, including investments in a flagship retail space, a VIP customer center, research and development, marketing, and strategic partnerships across Saudi Arabia, the Beijing-based company announced yesterday.

The move, which is part of Lenovo’s collaboration with Alat, a Public Investment Fund-owned company, highlights its long-term commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and advancing the country’s digital transformation and economic diversification agenda, Lenovo added.

Lenovo joined hands with Alat in May last year. As part of this collaboration, the pair broke ground on a 200,000-square-meter advanced manufacturing facility in Riyadh in February. The factory, which will produce PCs, desktops, mobile phones, and servers, is expected to commence trial operations next year.

Once it comes on stream, the manufacturing facility will become a significant link in Lenovo’s global manufacturing network, enhancing the strength and flexibility of its supply chains and providing customers in the Middle East and Africa with more convenient services.

The partnership between Lenovo and Alat will also help Saudi Arabia realize its Vision 2030. It will create 15,000 direct and 45,000 indirect jobs in the country and contribute USD10 billion worth of non-petroleum gross domestic product by 2030.

Yesterday, Lenovo also announced the appointment of its executive leadership team for Saudi Arabia. The company named Lawrence Yu as head of the regional HQ, Giovanni Di Filippo as vice president and general manager for Lenovo Saudi Arabia, and Zoran Radumilo as chief technology officer of Lenovo Saudi Arabia.

Yu, who has worked for Lenovo for 15 years, played a pivotal role in the completion of Lenovo’s partnership with Alat and the planning of the Riyadh manufacturing site. Previously, he served as GM of Lenovo Global Retail Solutions, helping the business division achieve 40 percent annual revenue growth over five years.

Di Filippo was earlier responsible for Lenovo’s infrastructure solution business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He is now tasked with promoting the company’s hyper-growth strategy in Saudi Arabia, advancing its regional sales organization, and fostering cross-portfolio synergies.

Radumilo was a senior executive at Swedish information technology company Industrial and Financial Systems. He will now lead Lenovo’s sector-specific go-to-market strategies across key verticals, including government entities, energy, telecommunications, smart cities, and financial services.

Editor: Futura Costaglione