Significant participation from Tejari at the 5th Conference on CIT in the Arab World

The three-day event was attended by senior management executives from Tejari who participated in a series of plenary sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and interactive brainstorming sessions focused on a number of topics which ranged from e -learning to E-Signature laws.

Omar Hijazi, the newly-appointed CEO of Tejari, participated in the opening session of the forum, 'The Arab World in the Global Economy: The Impact of Technology'. Here he shared his views on obstacles hindering the growth of e-commerce in the Arab world, including low internet penetration and trading issues, and ways in which these could be combated.

This was Hijazi's first major speech as CEO of Tejari and he was warmly welcomed by delegates.

"Our pioneering experience in operating the premier online marketplace in the Middle East gives us a unique insight into the region. In its capacity as an Arab world success story, Tejari is committed to supporting the Arab League in its endeavor to create an environment conducive to the success of e-commerce," said Hijazi.

"Increased liberalization of e-commerce in the region will create transparency and new avenues for growth for emerging businesses. Electronic directories for suppliers, powerful search and on-line negotiation tools for buyers, along with common electronic transaction laws will drive increased trade in the region," he added.

Abdulla Salman, Tejari's Marketing Director and Rami Al-Jaghoub, Tejari's VP for franchise operations also participated in the forum, demonstrating the importance of e-government adoption and the benefits that government departments receive from automating their buying process.

The conference had also featured speeches from H.E. Dr. Ahmed Nazif, Prime Minister of Egypt; H.E. Dr. Tarek Kamel, Minister of CIT, Egypt; and Akhil Beshir, Chairman Egypt Telecom. Gary Shapiro, President & CEO, Consumer Electronics Association, USA, discussed broadband deployment while Maria Livanos Cattaui, Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce, France, participated in a discussion on the importance of technology in the Arab World.

Reem Badran, CEO, Jordan Investment Authority, Jordan; Emre Berkin, Chairman EMEA, Microsoft; Dr Mukesh Aghi, CEO and Managing Director, Universitas 21 Global, Singapore; and Nik Gowing, a presenter at BBC News were also present at the forum.

"A key aspect of our vision for the next five years is expansion in the regional and international markets and participation in events like this gives us the opportunity to network with our target audience of professionals. Tejari's leadership in e-procurement has ensured significant cost savings and efficiencies for it's more that 4000 trading partners. It is this success story and expertise that we shared at the CIT forum," added Hijazi.