JEDDAH, 2 April — He sits all by himself at the front of his stand at COMDEX Saudi Arabia surrounded by stacks of brochures, urging people to take one and see what he’s promoting. At first glance it seems like a very strange display. Just one man in the middle of a large space surrounded by vacant tables and chairs, empty white partitions and two flags. Then take a look upwards and notice that the name Palestine is mounted in bold letters on the top of the stand’s framework. Palestinian Sadiq Tawfiq has come to COMDEX as the sole representative of the Palestinian IT industry.
It’s not by choice that he is in the current situation. The Palestinian delegation at COMDEX was originally composed of eight companies whose participation was organized by the Palestine IT Association (PITA), and Paltrade. The companies had planned to promote their wide collection of innovative software products tailored to meet the needs of Arab users. Fifteen Palestinians had been scheduled to staff the Palestinian Pavilion during the exhibition. Hopes were high that considerable business would be done and many new contacts made.
It was not to be. Due to the horrific violence in the occupied territories the Palestinian trade representatives are trapped in their homes.
“The group was supposed to cross into Jordan on March 29,” explained Sadiq Tawfiq, media assistant, EllamTam Public Relations Company. “Just by chance, I was already there. I waited for them, but every day they would call and tell me they couldn’t make it. It was simply too dangerous for them to go out into the streets to travel. Finally there was no choice and so I have come here by myself to represent Palestine’s IT industry.”
Tawfiq was emphatic that while he is physically the only Palestinian IT trade representative at COMDEX, he is not alone.
“The group sent me on ahead because they wanted to participate even if they weren’t physically here,” Tawfiq said. “Believe me, the work on our IT contracts is going on even in the midst of this violence. People are working on the projects from home. No matter what, the work will get done. We need to honor our contracts so we can feed our families. This war is not just about the death of individuals. Now, it is a struggle for the survival of the Palestinian economy.”
The brochures being distributed by Tawfiq cover a wide range of innovative products developed in Arabic. PITA believes that for countries in the Arabic-speaking world this makes Palestinian IT products true competitors to foreign-built software, which cannot offer the native language advantage.
For example, BabilSoft’s Sham software series, which includes Sham Financials, Rent A Car, Human Resources and Payroll and Automobile Service Center, provides multilingual concurrent support, the option to operate Hijri or Western calendar settings, and most importantly, multi-database connectivity that supports nearly all database systems.
According to Tawfiq, although the Palestinian economy is depressed from the ongoing occupation and the violence of the last 16 months, the Palestinian IT sector is perhaps the least affected industry because it is not extremely dependent on raw materials, relying more on the availability of human talent.
“Yes, we are having a difficult time, but we also believe that with the right support we can still succeed,” said Tawfiq. “Here at COMDEX, I am actively working to find marketing channels to promote our IT services. We need channel partners. This would give us a lifeline to the world.”
Dabbagh Information Technology, the COMDEX organizer, has provided five Saudi students to help Tawfiq during the show’s operating hours. The students distribute the brochures and information fliers to visitors so that Tawfiq can concentrate on the business aspects of the exhibition. Tawfiq pointed out that all the brochures and PR material for the Palestinian companies had been developed, designed and printed in Palestine and then shipped to the show.
“Just look at the high-quality publications we are producing even under less than ideal conditions,” he said. “We need to succeed for our families and our nation so we put forward a superior effort on every project.”
“We know that the Kingdom is a strong supporter of the Palestinians, ” Tawfiq continued. “Saudi Arabia welcomed our participation in COMDEX. Now we are here and we need to attract Saudi business. Please come to our stand and take a look at what we can offer.”
The Palestinian trade representatives who have been delayed in the occupied territories are still making every attempt to get to COMDEX. Tawfiq explained that they will come to the Kingdom the moment it is reasonably safe to travel. His goal is to make contacts with Saudi businesses interested in using Palestinian IT products or services. Then the Palestinian companies can follow up those leads once they arrive here.
For more information on the Palestinian IT industry and what it can offer visit: www.pita-palestine.org/Comdex2002.
