DUBAI, 21 October 2007 — “Regional governments and business sectors need to work hand-in-hand to ensure the necessary enabling environment for greater investments in the ICT sector (and) foster entrepreneurship and (to) stimulate innovation,” said Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, UAE Minister of Economy, during the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Conference held on Wednesday at the Etisalat Academy here.

“Together they can play a larger role as innovators, investors and job creators, to effectively address various issues that hinder the spread of information technologies and eventually create the right environment for the creation and subsistence of a digitally-enabled economy,” she added.

The conference, entitled “Driving Development with ICTs and the Internet”, has attracted industry leaders and government ministers from across the Middle East and Africa.

In her address, Lubna said “information and communication technologies are powerful enablers of development, as they promote foreign investments and help to capture economic opportunities by increasing process efficiency, encouraging participation in expanded economic networks and creating opportunities for employment.”

She underscored government’s vital responsibility in creating and improving the digital economy by implementing technologies in order to provide improved citizen-centric services and administrative processes.

“The UAE is certainly one of the foremost countries in the Arab world on the way to becoming an e-commerce hub, and the concerted efforts from the business sector and the government are helping in the faster realization of this goal. The business sector’s adoption of technology greatly impacts the overall direction of ICT development in a country and moreover, businesses have an important role to play in shaping the policies driving e-Commerce.”

Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, BASIS Founding chair and chair of ICC’s Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT), in delivering the opening remarks, praised efforts exerted by Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum and Lubna in ICT and Internet sector.

Members of BASIS and ICC’s EBITT Commission participated actively in the conference as panelists and moderators in discussions on a range of issues.