Jordan and UAE share vision to take regional ICT to the world, assert int@j members

Speaking on the outcome of the int@j delegation's successful participation at GITEX 2004, CEO Bilal Abuzeid said that the investment-friendly environments of Jordan and the UAE, and the recent government initiatives undertaken in both countries, was at the forefront of the Middle East's ICT market development.

"We are proving to be flag bearers for the region with the strides made in both countries in the fields of e-governance, online education, indigenous software development and other realms. Working in partnership, the UAE and Jordan have to set examples for the rest of the region in what can be achieved within the industry, and also, help take the next step forward into an international arena," he stated.

"We have great leaders - King Abdullah and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed - who serve as marketing CEOs for our respective countries, and our aim must be to support their far-seeing vision and their endeavours in positioning ourselves as global forces. As independent businesses, our joint focus must remain the raising of awareness, usage and standards across the Middle East, a task that is best achieved by closer ties between key players in the Jordanian and Emirati ICT sectors," he added.

The int@j delegation, comprising nine companies from the public and private sectors, had a two pronged mission at GITEX - to highlight Jordan's ICT strengths and to foster partnerships with UAE companies in order to promote regional cooperation and unified strengths. Several members commented on the strong ties between both countries, and how best to harness common strengths on a regional and international platform:

Representing the Ideal Group, Marwan Ziadat, Front Range Solutions Specialist at Ideal Systems said, "Both the UAE and Jordan have proven to be extremely successful brands by themselves, and the time is right to extend this success to the Middle East and beyond. Our countries offer valuable skilled forces, enviable location and appropriate business climates at lower prices - all of which are vital factors for the world to consider.

"Since we do not work on a competitive basis, and act as a complement to any existing business in the UAE, we look upon forums like this exhibition to build partnerships with companies based here. Partnerships can combine our experience and expertise to take both our countries to new heights," he stated.

Affirming Jordan's position as one of the region's pioneers in the field of online education, Khalid Audi, Marketing Officer of Integrated Technology Group spoke of their software EduWave, and what it implies for the UAE and for the region. "EduWave is officially recognised by the United Nations (UN) as the world's largest online student outreach programme and with its multilingual approach to mass education, can be easily adapted anywhere in the Middle East.

"We have been recently commissioned in Bahrain to link up a quarter million students, and we are engaged in ongoing discussions with the ministries of education in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This signifies great inroads into the regional market, on the heels of our international recognition and success. E-learning is the future of education and we rank it as one of our highest priorities when we look at developing hardware and software solutions not just for the region, but as afar as New Jersey," he stated.

Allied Soft, another participant at the annual exhibition spoke of how it served as an apt forum for learning and cross interaction. "GITEX is exactly the kind of opportunity that regional firms need - to interact and integrate with each other. While we do not expect any deals to be signed on the spot, it opens doors and windows into what can be achieved in the immediate future," said Muhannad Hassan, Business Development Manager, speaking of bilateral relations between the two countries.

"We have met with our counterparts and competitors in the UAE, and it has been an invaluable learning experience for all of us, in understanding what we can achieve in partnership and with greater cooperation. Our countries have great leaders, enviable geographic locations and sound business environments, and nothing should stop us from taking on the world," he stated.