Lebanese government fully committed to boosting country's ICT sector

Addressing a press conference at the Lebanese Consulate in Dubai, H.E Marwan Hamadeh, Minister for Telecommunication, Lebanon, said: "Lebanon is entering a new phase of development where economic reform is a central tenet of our progression plans. The IT industry is being given extremely high priority in our economic agenda. The Ministry of Telecommunications is working towards rapidly overhauling the entire telecommunications sector, and is cutting prices for technology-related goods. We are committed to retaining the vibrancy of our technological sector, and fully understand the need to develop the IT industry further in the face of global competition."

"We are working on liberalising and restructuring the telecommunication sector by setting up a regulatory authority which will be autonomous and dynamic. This will enhance the status of this sector and make it on par with the telecom industries of developed countries. In addition, we will establish "Liban Telecom" that will eventually replace OGERO, taking over all its assets and employees, and leading to its partial privatisation," added H.E. Hamadeh.

"This GITEX, Lebanon's ICT prowess will be demonstrated by the participation of leading Lebanese companies, under the umbrella of Professional Computer Association (PCA)," said H.E. Hamadeh. "On behalf of the Government of Lebanon, I would like to wish all participants success at the exhibition."

Jalal Fawaz, President of the Professional Computer Association (PCA) of Lebanon, said: "The Lebanese ICT industry has gained a strong reputation for innovation and high standards. There can be no doubt about the tremendous IT talent in Lebanon, yet this needs to be bolstered and further developed by new incentives and facilities from the Government. We are therefore extremely pleased to hear from the Honourable Minister that new measures for boosting the ICT industry are being implemented. The PCA is delighted to bring Lebanese ICT companies under a single umbrella at GITEX. The show will help Lebanon showcase its versatile products and solutions, which have gained a large export market in the region and globally, and PCA would like to use the platform to project Lebanon's ICT industry strengths, particularly against the background of a new political set-up devoted to wide-ranging reforms."

According to a recent survey, one-third of Lebanese ICT firms thrive on exports, with as much as 70 per cent of their revenue coming from outside markets. The Lebanese Software market reported 75 per cent of all receipts coming from the regional and Western markets, with more than 85 per cent of firms naming the GCC countries as their primary markets. "The IT industry in Lebanon is showing strong indications of rapid growth within the next few years, mainly driven by a population with high levels of computer and IT competency," said Fawaz. "Further, the export market is growing rapidly, and Lebanese ICT companies are investing heavily to cope with the increased demand. At GITEX, we expect the confirmation of several export orders."

Participating Lebanese ICT companies include ACT (Automation Computer Technology), Software Design, National PC, LibanCall, Geovision, Born Interactive, Soft Flow, IDAL and NIT. The participants will showcase an impressive portfolio of software solutions and hardware products in diverse sectors, with a special focus on Banking, Retail, Education and General Trade.

The Lebanese pavilion at GITEX is located in Sheikh Rashid Hall, E9, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, spread over an area of 156 square metres. This is the eighth consecutive year the PCA is bringing top IT companies from Lebanon to GITEX Dubai.