Apple will open a research and development center in Israel that will focus on semiconductors, the Globes business daily reported on Thursday.

The Israeli newspaper said the maker of iPods, IPads and iPhones has already hired Israeli high-tech veteran Aharon Aharon to run the center.

Apple was not available for comment.

Globes said that although Apple was a global innovation leader, it is a small investor in R&D. It invested $2.4 billion in R&D in 2010, just 2 percent of its revenue and less than other high-tech firms, it said.

The R&D center in Herzliya, Israel’s version of Silicon Valley, would be Apple’s first outside California, Globes said.

The newspaper said Apple vice president of R&D Ed Frank was currently visiting Israel.

Earlier this week, Israeli media reported Apple was in advanced talks to buy Anobit, an Israeli maker of flash storage technology, for $400-$500 million.

Apple has declined to comment on the report.

Source: Reuters

It is so sad and frustrating to see APPLE investing in Israel, while we as Arabs are not able to attract these investments to our countries! I don’t know what our leaders are doing to create proper environment for such investments! 

I would prefer seeing APPLE as well as MICROSOFT having their R&D in Lebanon or any other Arab Country instead of being in ISRAEL! 

WISH THE ARAB LEADERS WILL WAKE UP AND CARE FOR DEVELOPING THEIR COUNTRIES AND SOCIETIES INSTEAD OF APPLYING DICTATORSHIP AND KILL THEIR PEOPLE!