Mecom: UAE sees 20% annual growth in telecoms market, smart phones to drive sales in 2010

Al Ghanim was addressing industry leaders at Mecom, the region's leading event for next generation ICT solutions and the only dedicated telecommunications and enterprise communications trade show and conference, which opened today (Monday 17 May) at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

"The UAE telecoms market has grown from Dhs30bn to Dhs60bn since 2005. The market will continue to grow by 20% annually, which will be driven (in part) by sales of smart phones and devices which will double this year," said H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of TRA.

Al Ghanim was clearly making reference to the new Andriod smart phone software, which is due to launch in the UAE later this year. Indeed he went on to say that it would be these types of smart application that would drive the market and he saw the TRA's role to encourage investment and to provide regulation only where necessary.

"We want the market to thrive and we will only create regulation where there is dominance. We want to develop a flexible competitive framework, which encourages the development of new products. However, when new packages are launched, we will ensure that complete transparency is in place to avoid misleading claims," added Al Ghanim.

According to US-based company, CommScope, an exhibitor at Mecom, Abu Dhabi is the ideal location for the event, particularly now that it had unveiled its vision for 2030 that bodes well for the ICT industry, especially infrastructure.

CommScope, which for the first time in the Middle East, is exhibiting with the support of all of its business units, is featuring its next-generation SYSTIMAX 360 Solutions platform, which has set the standard for performance and reliability with intelligent infrastructure solutions.

Khalil Mamlouk, Managing Director of Andrew Wireless Solutions, a business unit of CommScope, commented, "Convergence is driving and shaping the regional markets right now. Exhibiting here at Mecom, we have a market-leading proposition that takes us from wired to wireless, in other words we now have the combined expertise to cover the complete ICT spectrum, from installing physical cabling to enabling wireless applications."

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.

"Mecom is the premier telecoms event in Abu Dhabi, it is the only show for wired and wireless 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," said Jim Meltz, Group Director of IIR Middle East, the organiser of Mecom.