DUBAI, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Bahrain Telecommunications Co (Batelco) has named acting group Chief Executive Ihab Hinnawi as its permanent Group CEO, it said in a statement to the bourse on Tuesday.

Hinnawi has been the acting CEO since February this year, after Alan Whelan suddenly stepped down.

Prior to these moves, Hinnawi had been chief executive of Jordan's Umniah, an operator which is 96 percent owned by Batelco, since 2009.

He will be directing operations across the Group's 14 geographies.

(Reporting by Archana Narayanan. Editing by Nadia Saleem.) ((archana.narayanan@thomsonreuters.com; +971 445 36240; Reuters Messaging: archana.narayanan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))