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ICDL GCC Foundation chief receives an Award during "ID WORLD 2010" held in Abu Dhabi

Award is recognised for contributions in promoting Digital Literacy and developing new approaches to citizen-centric services
At a ceremony held recently during the annual EMEA (European, Middle East and Africa) Summit "The ID WORLD 2010" held in Abu Dhabi Emirate, Jamil Ezzo, Managing Director of ICDL GCC Foundation , was presented with the prestigious Citizen ID Award, which is given to the person who has been distinguished in the area of government-driven ID schemes and new approaches to citizen-centric services.

Held under the patronage of UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H.H. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and endorsed by the European Commission, the UAE Ministry of Interior , Abu Dhabi Police and he Emirates Identity Authority, the Summit drew experts from around the world who shared best practices and discussed tested strategies and innovations in elevating the automatic identification industry in the Middle East.

Commenting on the award, Jamil Ezzo said: "The latest breakthroughs in the field of information technology have enabled governments to deliver more efficient and cost-effective services to the public. A greater number of people from different social backgrounds have likewise been able to enjoy a wider range of services through the introduction of online-based services. ICDL GCC Foundation has initiated a parallel initiative that seeks to empower citizens to become more participative and productive in today's digital society by taking advantage of various digital tools, services and solutions. The Citizen ID Award is a testament to the success of our strategy to partner with government and private institutions in promoting digital literacy. This distinction will surely inspire us to increase our efforts to reach out to more people in the GCC."

ID WORLD featured the Citizen ID Forum, the Transportation Security Forum and the Asset Tracking Forum, and also included the NFC Academy Conference, which returned to the region after its high-profile launch in Abu Dhabi in February 2009, and the inaugural Postal Innovation Conference, which illustrated how advanced auto ID technologies are improving postal and express shipping operations globally. Representatives from governments around the world, including the US, the European Commission, the UK, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, the UAE, Oman and Qatar, participated in ID WORLD Abu Dhabi.

In his address during the Summit, Ezzo revealed that the UAE has reached 4.6 per cent ICDL certification and registrations population penetration with more than 300,000 ICDL candidates, while the number of ICDL candidates in the GCC region has surpassed the 1 million mark even as worldwide there are now more than 10 million ICDL candidates.

Ezzo attributed the success of ICDL in the UAE to the support of policy makers, including projects supported by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, making ICDL a requirement for all government employees in the emirate of Dubai, and projected supported by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, making ICDL a requirement for all government employees in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister for Presidential Affairs, and H.H. Sheikh Diab bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ADWEA Chairman, for their part in supporting various projects including Summer Camps for students aged under 18. On the other hand, H.H. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of UAE and Minister of Interior, has supported different digital literacy initiatives targeting all UAE Nationals seeking employment, including all members of the Police Force and even inmates.

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About ICDL
ICDL is internationally recognised as the global benchmark in developing IT literacy programs and has emerged as the world's largest vendor-neutral end-user computer skills certification with more than 10 million registered candidates from all over the world. Endorsed by education ministries, universities and government organisations in more than 168 countries and available in over 48 languages including Arabic, ICDL seeks to globally promote digital literacy based on unified, world-class standards of competence and integrity.

About ID World 2010
ID World 2010 featured three World ID forums, Citizen ID Forum, Transportation Security Forum and Asset Tracking Forum. During these forums, several seminars that discussed various topics including RFID, Biometrics, Smart Cards, ePassports and Data Collection were organized. The Summit also featured an exhibition which included a number of pavilions where several major international companies specialized in ID Technology, information and communication technology, smart cards and data collection as well as a number of system developers and a group of manufacturers participated. The Summit also featured the ID People segment, which introduced the decision makers of the ID revolution, presenting their vision of a technology-based society. The 2011 edition of ID World will be held in Milan, Italy.

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© Press Release 2010