- Obaid Rahman becomes Group CEO at TNS Plus, aiming to expand the firm’s reach from the CIS to global connectivity corridors.
- He sees untapped opportunity in north-south routes as AI growth in the Middle East and Central Asia begins to accelerate.
What happened: Obaid Rahman, now leads TNS Plus as Group CEO.
Obaid Rahman has been appointed Group CEO of TNS Plus, which is now fully owned by Dar Group after previously being part of Veon Group. He is joining the company with a strong foundation and reliable shareholders and wants to build on assets along the Silk Route. He said the big chance is to unlock TNS Plus’s terrestrial routes in the global connectivity map. He wants to build a network with partners beyond traditional markets and stressed the importance of the east-west corridor from Hong Kong to Frankfurt. That corridor is key for AI-led data flows amid geopolitical changes.
He also underlined north-south links which the industry often overlooks. He pointed to new AI hubs in the Middle East — namely UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — and said improving connectivity through Central Asia will give compute power access to new markets. Rahman’s career covers the Americas, Europe and Asia.
In the Middle East, as CEO of du over two years, he saw AI investments move from concept to reality. He helped du shift from an organic wholesale provider to a leading regional partner with subsea cable investments and new services such as a travel eSIM solution. He remains active with the ITW Global Leaders Forum (GLF) and plans to use that platform to amplify TNS Plus’s voice and raise awareness of Central Asia’s role in shifting geopolitical dynamics.
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Why it is important
This move shows a firm push for digital infrastructure to go beyond the familiar east-west paths. AI demand is growing fast in the Middle East and across Eurasia and there is a real need to link those markets with global compute hubs. Rahman’s insight into north-south corridors adds fresh strategic depth.
TNS Plus could turn terrestrial links into competitive advantage if it connects emerging AI regions to core global networks. At the same time, his du background in subsea investment and novel services gives him tools to lead that shift. His continued role in GLF gives the firm a voice in global infrastructure planning.
All of this makes the appointment timely as AI infrastructure and geopolitical priorities change. Given the importance of the Silk Route corridor for data flows, TNS Plus may become a vital enabler for digital expansion beyond its legacy markets.
