Microsoft has chosen Dubai to host its second Government Leadership Forum (GLF) in the Arab world.
CEO Steve Ballmer will attend the event, scheduled to be held in April next year, informed sources told Gulf News.
The news comes against the backdrop of Bill Gates, the president of Microsoft, having said e-government implementation "has been more impressive here than in the rest of the world".
Speaking at the first GLF held in Cairo last January, Gates noted it is important to continue such development or risk being left behind.
The event saw information and communication technology professionals from the government and private sectors in the region coming together on a common platform to discuss the latest industry developments.
Separately, Gates told the Abu Dhabi Chamber publication Economy Today that the UAE occupies the top position in IT development among countries in the region.
"The rapid steps taken by the UAE in the area of IT development is unprecedented in the region," Gates told the magazine, as quoted by WAM yesterday.
He added that the country and its people continue to keep abreast of the latest global IT developments.
But he noted that overall, the Middle East is still lagging in IT development, and called for international laws which would spur advanced countries help developing countries catch up with them.
Gulf News
