Speaking at the ITU Connect Arab Summit in Doha, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Etisalat Chairman Mohammed Omran said: “The mobile industry’s contribution to socioeconomic growth can be amplified with appropriate regulations that support a multiplier effect in ICT investment.”
He added: “Despite having some of the highest mobile penetration rates anywhere in the world, Middle East & Africa (MEA) is still in the first wave evolution of telecommunications as it moves from voice mobility to broadband connectivity.”
Omran said the emerging markets of the MEA must create an appropriate policy ecosystem that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship to unlock the economic value of mobile broadband connectivity.
“Mobile communications is a powerful enabler of economic and social development but the benefits of mobility and connectivity can only be effective with the supportive engagement of policymakers and other stakeholders,” Omran added.
Pursuing and realizing this vision in a country such as the UAE could materialize an ICT industry valued in excess of AED100 billion by the end of 2016, a more than 130 percent increase over 2010’s figures.
The ITU Connect Arab Summit, organized in partnership with the League of Arab States (LAS), targets the development of ICT in the Arab World to accelerate economic growth and job creation.
“The vision of a diversified knowledge economy needs a buoyant and innovative ICT sector. We need to train the new generation in the jobs of the future and give them the space and freedom to innovate,” Omran added.
