Telecommunications exhibition MECOM 2007 inaugurated by H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan

The MECOM exhibition covers the total spectrum of telecommunications and IT Comms products and services and features over 100 international exhibitors.

MECOM 2007 is supported by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the UAE, Etisalat, new telecommunications company du, Dubai Internet City and Thuraya, who have all taken Platinum event sponsorships for the region's first high-powered telecommunications conference

Leading industry names are also taking part as both Gold Sponsors and exhibitors including Motorola, Ericsson, HP, Cisco, ZTE, Alcatel Lucent, British Telecom, ICT Fund and Nokia Siemens Networks.

Reports by Madar Research, a leading regional market intelligence firm, indicate that the Middle East telecommunications market is set to tip USD 50 billion. The reports record the average ICT Use Index in the Arab World in 2005 as 43 percent higher than 2004 based fixed line subscribers, mobile phone subscribers, internet users and computer-installed base. It is estimated that telecommunications and broadband will create a new economy sector worth $70 billion in revenue by 2015 for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.

"The regional telecommunications sector is going through an exciting phase, fuelled by huge advances in technologies and market liberalisation. MECOM has got off to a great start and will undoubtedly go on to become one of the leading industry events in the Middle East,"

said David Hirst, Exhibition Director, MECOM Forums.

The exhibition will run from April 22 - 25, from 10am to 6pm daily at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The second day of the exhibition (April 23rd) will see the opening of the Conference Programme which will feature leading telecoms industry experts.