AMMAN - Major investments and projects in the ICT sector as well as partnerships among players in the industry are expected to be announced during the MENA ICT Forum 2010 to kick off October 10, according to organisers.
Some 500 major stakeholders, players, decision makers and entrepreneurs in the sector from all over the world will convene at the two-day forum to discuss current and future issues related to regional investment climate, legislative supportive systems, infrastructure and communications, emerging technologies, as well as education and human capital development.
Among the topics to be discussed will be the availability of Arabic content on the web, social networking, online media among other related issues.
Over 65 key speakers from leading private and public ICT and information and communications technology enabled services (ICTES) entities from the four corners of the globe will deliver speeches during the forum, where participants will also look into MENA region's current and pressing ICT and ICTES concerns and latest developments and technologies.
"Main speakers from the US, India, EU, the Middle East and other countries will deliver speeches at the forum, highlighting challenges and opportunities the ICT sector enjoys," Aiman Mazahreh, chairman of int@j said in a press conference Sunday.
Speakers include Werner Vogels, VP and CTO of Amazon.com, Stanislas de Bentzmann, CEO of Devoteam Group and John Chambers, CEO of Cisco as well as other speakers representing Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Oracle Corporation in the Middle East and Africa, to mention a few.
Habib Mahakian, regional director for North Gulf, Levant and Pakistan area at EMC Corporation, stressed the importance of the forum as it provides an opportunity for sharing expertise with other companies, which will showcase their solutions and technologies.
"We believe that Jordan can be a hub for ICT industry in the region and this is what drives us to look into some investments in the Kingdom. We are working on some plans and projects and preparing for some investments that will be announced during the forum," Mahakian said during the press conference Sunday.
Orange CEO Nayla Khawam, stressed the importance of the event, saying the Kingdom is highly advanced in the ICT sector.
"The forum will enable participants to exchange expertise and information in the sector. It is an opportunity for us to be acquainted with developments abroad to transfer new technologies to the Kingdom," she said. "The ICT sector should be open to developments across the world as this sector impacts all other sectors in the Kingdom."
Zain CEO Abdul Malek Al Jaber said the forum will help highlight achievements in the ICT sector in Jordan.
"It provides an opportunity for discussing latest technologies and very important ICT-related issues. Hosting the conference, highlights the position Jordan assumes in the world of ICT. The forum's topics are rich and the speakers are main players in the industry and that shows how important the conference is," Jaber said during the press conference.
Omar Omoush, director of marketing of Umniah, said the MENA ICT Forum presents a "unique opportunity for deliberations and collaborations across relevant sectors.
The forum, held by int@j, is supported by Gold partners, including EMC, Orange, Qatar Science and Technology Park, Umniah and Zain.
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2010
