JEDDAH, 19 November 2006 — Saudi Arabia has been re-elected to the board of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for Asia during a meeting in the Turkish city of Antalya, according to Muhammad Jameel Mulla, minister of telecommunications and information technology. He said Saudi Arabia received big support during the election, which was held on Nov. 16.
“This international support reflects the Kingdom’s reputation on the world stage and development of the country’s telecommunications sector,” the minister said, adding that his ministry would continue its efforts in cooperation with the international community to further develop the sector.
Mulla, who led the Saudi delegation to Antalya conference, was selected deputy chairman of the conference, while the Kingdom’s candidate Sami Al-Murshid was elected director general of the telecom development office at the union for four years. The election was carried out among representatives of 159 countries through secret ballot.
The United Arab Emirates was elected to the board for the first time this year among 12 other Asian members. Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia were also admitted to the board, which has allocated 13 seats for Africa. Mulla said the six Arab members would be able to play a significant role in strengthening the organization.