Mecom grows again in Abu Dhabi

"Abu Dhabi is the ideal location because it has now unveiled its vision for 2030, that bodes well for the ICT industry, especially infrastructure. Exhibition space has increased 50% as the inevitable innovation and technological developments in the regional telecommunications industry continue to attract overseas interest," commented Jim Meltz, Group Director of IIR Middle East, the organiser of Mecom.

Held under the patronage of H.E. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, Mecom, now in its fourth year, has attracted more than 100 companies keen to demonstrate their next generation communications technology and solutions for government, healthcare, hospitality, banking & finance, oil & gas, real estate, retail, manufacturing, logistics and media sectors.

"Some 42% of exhibitors are new to the region, while pre-registered visitor numbers are up 20 per cent on 2009, so we are anticipating a very busy show, " added Meltz.

Mecom has attracted solid support from many major telecoms players, such as Etisalat and the Telecoms Regulatory Authority (TRA). In addition, the premier industry showcase has drawn major international brands and key regional players such as Nokia, Orange Jordan, Vodafone Egypt, BT, OmanTel, QTel, Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and Telekom Kenya.

Director General of the TRA, H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, stated, "Mecom is a vital exhibition for participants not only to gain exposure but to present their strategies to their stakeholders.

"The TRA believes that events like Mecom are the best way to present its vision in a transparent way to create an environment in which the UAE's ICT sector will emerge as a global leader," added Al Ghanim.

Another highlight of this year's show comes courtesy of CommScope, which is exhibiting its next-generation SYSTIMAX 360 Solutions platform, which has set the standard for performance and reliability with intelligent infrastructure solutions.

Mecom is not just the only telecoms event in Abu Dhabi, it is the sole show for fixed and mobile communications in the UAE. It is also the only one that serves the whole communications value chain and unique in that it has a dedicated focus on enterprise communication.

Running alongside the event will be the Abu Dhabi Telecoms CEO summit - the largest event of its kind in the region - with more than 35 operators represented. Reading like a who's who of the industry, leading minds heavyweights including Mohamed Al Ghanim, DG of the TRA-UAE, Osman Sultan CEO of du and Ahmed Nassef, VP, MD of Yahoo! Middle East will be in attendance to discuss such diverse topics as the balance between regulation and free markets, bridging the digital divide and how 4G will change the industry.

In its capacity as the only event in the Middle East where operator CxOs, regulators and decision makers gather to network and to do business, the Telecoms Technology Summit will consider the changing face of the industry, mobile TV and broadband issues.