Regional interest over the first 'Middle East Network Operators Group' meeting to be hosted in Bahrain

2Connect, Bahrain's link to the next generation of telecommunications services, announced that the first Middle East Network Operators Group (MENOG) meeting to be held on April 3 - 5, 2007, at the Diplomat Radisson Hotel in Bahrain, has attracted significant regional interest. The meeting currently has a record number of registered attendees from more than 15 countries.

MENOG represents the start of an important collaborative forum that will benefit the entire regional Internet community through the exchange of knowledge and technical know-how between network operators and network engineers representing key figures in the Internet industry.

"Since the first day, the response has been amazing and we have registered an increasing number of both speakers and attendees. Initially, MENOG 1 was conceived for only two days but due to the positive support for this non-commercial meeting it will now last three days. 2Connect is excited about the prospect of regional co-operation through MENOG and we are proud to be the official host of the first of many meetings to come," mentioned Fahad Al Shirawi, Managing Director, 2Connect.

MENOG keynote speakers, Mr. Salman Al-Mannai, representative from Qtel, Qatar and Mr. Nigel Titley, representative from EasyNet, United Kingdom and RIPE NCC Executive Board Member, will be presenting after the opening ceremony to be held by Mr. Al Shirawi. The meeting's agenda also includes four tutorials: an IXP tutorial by Mr. Gaurab Raj Upadhaya (Packet Clearing House), a BGP tutorial by Dr. Philip Smith (Cisco), a tutorial on Network Service Provider Security by Yusuf Bahiji (Cisco) and an IPv6 tutorial by Jordi Palet (Consultintel).

"We are proud to announce that MENOG I has received key support from the RIPE NCC, an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation that supports the infrastructure of the Internet through technical co-ordination in its service region, and is sponsored by leading regional players such as Cisco, IIS, Gateway Gulf and LINX," added Mr. Al Shirawi.

"We are proud to be supporting MENOG," said Paul Rendek, Head of External Relations and Communications, RIPE NCC. "MENOG offers a valuable opportunity for regional co-operation, discussion of relevant issues and tutorials on the latest technologies. It offers a unique way for participants to keep pace with global developments and to ensure the future stability of IP networking in the region."

"NOGs are vital for the ongoing health and vibrancy of the regional Internet they represent," said Dr. Philip Smith, Cisco Systems. "The effort is undertaken by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), network engineers and operational experts working in the region. If there is greater understanding between competitors at the engineering and operational levels, the local connectivity services within the region will improve."

Richard Yule, LINX's Sales and Marketing Manager, mentioned: "LINX is delighted to sponsor MENOG . We welcomed the first LINX member from the region in 2006 and we look forward to working closely with more local service providers to meet their interconnectivity needs. Having witnessed the success of similar events held around the globe, we consider MENOG is an excellent opportunity for the regional network operators to meet and discuss the issues concerning them."

Registration to attend MENOG's meeting is free and all network operators interested in participating can submit their presentations to the organising committee. "We encourage all operators to actively participate in this unique forum. With their commitment we can work towards ensuring continuity of MENOG to promote the dialogue and co-operation that will benefit our region," ended Fahad Al Shirawi.