Etisalat is key participant at Cairo ICT conference

The event is being organized by Egypt's International Economic Forum, and attracts Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professionals from around the world.

Etisalat's delegation of senior executives is headed by Ahmed Abdulkarim Julfar, General Manager- Dubai Region, Etisalat, and General Manager, eCompany. He addressed the gathering at a luncheon for the participants, which was sponsored by Etisalat. He spoke about the development and many successes of the Corporation over the last three decades, and that Etisalat is now considered as a pioneer in bringing ICT solutions to the region. He mentioned that the Corporation has multiplied its capital 35 times since its inception, and success of this nature has stemmed from the Board's early decision to provide telecommunication services to any part of the UAE where there are at least six people to use them and benefit. He also highlighted Etisalat's initiatives towards advancing the Human Resources of the UAE, supported in particular by the huge success of the Etisalat Academy.

"We never cease to plan for the future. While we already have a mobile penetration rate of 95 per cent, we are confident that this number will soon cross 100 per cent. Internet penetration in the nation has crossed 45 per cent, an impressive figure by international standards. Etisalat was the first in the region to launch the 3G service, and now apart from the common video calling, it aids business persons and executives with facilities like video conferencing and high-speed Internet on their mobiles", said Mr. Julfar.

He addressed the international expansion of Etisalat, which has seen the Corporation make inroads to Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Africa and Pakistan in quick succession. In Saudi Arabia, 'Mobily', the company set up by Etisalat, had commenced services in May 2005, and has signed on more than a million customers in just three months. Etisalat is still actively evaluating opportunities for expansion into other markets.

Ahmed Bin Ali, Manager - Public Relations, Etisalat, said: "This conference is one of the most important on the global ICT calendar, and a great meeting ground for professionals from around the world. Etisalat's decision to participate in this conference stems from our dedication to stay on top of global ICT initiatives and developments. We are on the look out for new technologies and best practices. We find these gatherings an ideal networking opportunity to build relations with other telecom operators and related companies."

Some of the key topics discussed at the conference were investment opportunities in ICT in the Arab World, agreements on global and Arab strategies in ICT, improving training and development for human resources in the ICT sector, and discussions on hindrances to the effective utilization of ICT.

The previous years' conferences had all shown good results, enabling effective cooperation between corporations. One major aim of the conference is to urge political leaders to carry out initiatives put forward by participating professionals.