"I met with the president and government ministers and told everyone that Israel should always have the best technology," said Zafra Katz, CEO of Oracle International, at an event attended by senior executives from the business and public sectors and from all sectors in Israel.
"Israel may not be the largest country, and yes, as CEO of Oracle I have bigger contracts with larger companies around the world, but due to the innovation and leadership coming out of Israel, and of course my and Larry Ellison's love for Israel, we feel a sense of compelling support for Israel, not only politically but also nationally, and Israel always gets priority with us." Added.
"Israel always takes priority with him", archive photo, photo: Joshua Yosef
Naturally, Katz noted AI, saying, "Every organization, especially in a time of economic downturn, needs to leverage the AI revolution to help drive its business transformation. Oracle AI enables organizations to automate their processes, get things done faster without human intervention, deliver critical recommendations in real time, and most importantly, stay relevant and competitive. Israel is a superpower in the field of artificial intelligence, and Oracle intends to continue to deepen its investment in the field."
Thanks to the Abraham Accords
Katz commented on the significance of the Abraham Accords, saying, "I'm probably the only CEO in the world who made a special trip for herself following the Abraham Accords. After a visit to Israel, I flew to the UAE, met with CEOs of many companies and government ministers, and told them that I was in the UAE thanks to the Abraham Accords. From the UAE, I returned to Israel, and then flew to Morocco.
"In the past, when I met with Princess Lala, Morocco's former ambassador to the United States, she asked how we could get Oracle to invest more in Morocco. I answered her – a direct flight from Morocco to Ben-Gurion Airport and real diplomatic relations with Israel. Since then, Oracle has been in the process of investing almost half a billion dollars in Morocco. Why? Thanks to the Abraham Accords.
"I have also been to several other countries in the Middle East region that have not yet joined the Abraham Accords. At the last World Cup in Qatar, I got a tour from the CEO of Qatar Airways and the Qatari Minister of Tourism. I kept reminding them that yes, I am from Israel, and that the Abraham Accords are important.
"When I was led through the airport, the tourism minister pointed out that the airport operates an artificial intelligence system developed in Israel."
Zafra Katz, archive, photo: Reuters
Thanks to remote work
On the concern for the younger generation of workers, Katz said: "Working remotely during the COVID-19 period was refreshing. Work productivity went up tremendously, and yes, it was fantastic that you didn't have to travel on the roads to get to work. Oracle has always had remote work for certain roles.
"The thing that scares me now is the concern for the younger generation. Young people don't have common engagements with their co-workers, conversations at the coffee machine, knowing how your colleagues are feeling, what they're doing and what they're working on. I believe that the younger generation loses a lot from the fact that employees are not physically together.
"Here in Israel, many of our employees have returned to the office, and I see this as a huge advantage. Working together in a team allows for a greater exchange of ideas and knowledge, which happens significantly less when working remotely."
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