MENOG 4 Meeting - 5-9 April 2009, Manama, Bahrain

Manama, Bahrain, 30th March 09 The Middle East Network Operators Group (MENOG) and the RIPE NCC, the Regional Internet Registry for Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, are inviting key figures from the Middle East business and technology communities to the MENOG 4 meeting to discuss the importance of cooperation to drive Internet innovation and economic growth in the region. 

This critical event will provide network operators, Internet service providers (ISPs), government organisations and other key decision makers an opportunity to collaborate on strategies to safeguard future economic stability and strength in the Middle East through responsible and forward-looking Internet infrastructure development.

Fahad AlShirawi, chair of MENOG and managing director of 2Connect Bahrain, comments: "Collaboration between organisations is essential in ensuring the competitiveness of the Middle East in the global telecom market place. Parts of the region have been hit hard by the economic downturn, but working together will help us weather the storm." 

Axel Pawlik, managing director of the RIPE NCC, says: "A key discussion on the agenda will look at uptake of the new version of IP addresses, IPv6, in the region. Failure to adopt IPv6 could have an impact on the region's Internet growth in the future."

Other critical issues to be discussed at MENOG 4 include the importance of ensuring the security and resilience of Internet infrastructure in the Middle East.

MENOG 4 will take place in Manama, Bahrain on 5-9 April 2009. The event is free to attend and open to all. A RIPE NCC Middle East Regional Meeting will be held in conjunction with the MENOG event.

For further information, go to: http://www.menog.net/meetings/menog4/index.php

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About the RIPE NCC
Founded in 1992, the RIPE NCC is an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation that supports the infrastructure of the Internet. The most prominent activity of the RIPE NCC is to act as a Regional Internet Registry (RIR) providing global Internet resources and related services to a current membership base of around 5,500 members in over 70 countries.

These members consist mainly of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecommunication organisations and large corporations located in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia.

As one of the world's five RIRs, the RIPE NCC performs a range of critical functions including:

    • The reliable and stable allocation of Internet number resources (IPv4, IPv6 and AS Number resources)

    • The responsible storage and maintenance of this registration data

    • The provision of an open, publicly accessible database where this data can be accessed

The RIPE NCC also provides a range of technical and coordination services for the Internet community. These services include the operation of K-root (one of the 13 root name servers), the Deployment of Internet Security Infrastructure (DISI) and DNS Monitoring (DNSMON).

As a result of its established position in the Internet industry, the RIPE NCC has played an important role in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), European Union (EU) workshops and government briefings on key issues in the current Internet landscape.

More information about the RIPE NCC is available at: www.ripe.net

For media enquiries please contact:
Lucie Smith / Kersti Klami at Racepoint Group UK
Tel: 0208 752 3200 / Email: ripencc@racepointgroup.com

Lucie Smith
Client Manager
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© Press Release 2009