Sariya Information Technology, a Middle East and Africa value-added distributor, has appointed Johnny Hayek as General Manager effective April 1, 2026, as part of a strategic transformation aimed at strengthening market leadership and accelerating growth in the region's expanding cybersecurity sector. The appointment marks leadership continuity at the distributor while signaling a shift toward operational execution excellence and partner-centric growth, with Hayek tasked with overseeing operations in Saudi Arabia and Dubai.
The appointment comes as Sariya undertakes a broader restructuring designed to streamline decision-making and enhance cross-functional execution, positioning the distributor to capture emerging opportunities in cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and cloud technologies. No search firm involvement was disclosed in the announcement. Hayek, commenting on his appointment, emphasised alignment with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals and commitment to partner enablement, stating the company's focus would be on elevating execution and strengthening positions in cybersecurity, security operations, identity and data protection alongside enterprise cloud solutions.
Hayek brings extensive regional information and communications technology leadership experience and a track record in business transformation and market expansion. His background includes roles as Director of Business Development at Optimized Networks Middle East, where he managed design and operations of converged IP network infrastructure across the region, and prior positions in strategic relationship management and account leadership at firms including EXCEED IT Services and Data Consult. He has also served as Account Director at Data Consult delivering integrated ICT solutions across the Middle East and Africa, and previously worked as Regional Sales Manager and held distribution management roles. His experience spans multiple technology domains relevant to regional market dynamics.
Sariya, founded in 2002 as part of Saudi Arabia's Al Kuhaimi Group conglomerate, operates as one of the region's leading value-added distributors with headquarters in Dammam and branches spanning Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Amman. The company employs over 200 people and maintains strategic partnerships with major vendors including Seagate, Acer, Zecurion and others. Sariya's portfolio spans software, hardware, and cybersecurity solutions distributed to resellers and integrators across the Gulf Cooperation Council. The distributor has expanded aggressively in cybersecurity distribution, signing major partnerships with Keystrike, Nanitor and others throughout 2025 to capture Middle East cybersecurity market growth.
The appointment reflects intensifying competition in Middle East distribution as cybersecurity and digital transformation demand accelerates, particularly given Saudi Arabia's Digital Transformation Strategy targets and regional government investment in technology infrastructure. Hayek's emphasis on partner enablement and agility suggests Sariya may be repositioning to compete more directly with larger global distributors while deepening vendor relationships in high-margin cybersecurity categories. The timing indicates the distributor believes operational restructuring and experienced leadership are required to capture market share in fast-growing but increasingly crowded regional cybersecurity channels, though whether Sariya will pursue organic growth, vendor consolidation or acquisition activity remains unclear from available statements.
