KARACHI, 12 October 2003 — The ITCN Saudi Arabia is being organized for the second time in the Kingdom to highlight Pakistan’s IT potential in the Middle East and to bring closer cooperation between the two countries in the IT sector. The expo is scheduled from Dec. 7 to 12, 2003 at the Dhahran International Exhibition Center. It is designed to attract international IT players to exhibit their products while giving business visitors from Muslim countries and the Middle East opportunities for collaboration and outsourcing.
More than 100,000 international delegates visited last year’s ITCN Saudi Arabia in 2002.
The ITCN 2003 will highlight advanced technologies, solutions and IT products. And aims to play a role in projecting Saudi Arabia as a lucrative market for foreign investment. The organizers also hope that it will offer openings for Pakistan’s foreign investment initiatives.
Using what the organizers call an “aggressive” advertising and promotional campaign the expo showcases businessmen, IT entrepreneurs, the financial and legal sectors and a number of IT education centers and universities. Approximately 90 percent of the stalls are already booked, the organizers add.
The ITCN Saudi Arabia 2003 is a joint effort of the Federal Ministry of Investment and privatization, Board of Investment, ECommerce Gateway Singapore and CommerceNet Singapore. The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), a forum of 57 OIC member countries, is endorsing the event.
Pakistan Launches First
Islamic Mutual Fund
A Pakistani financial house yesterday launched the country’s maiden Islamic mutual fund, conforming with an Islamic Shariah law prohibition on interest, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz said, adds AFP.
Al-Meezan Investment Management Limited will put its units on the sale on Monday.
