Summit aims to bring about a common plan of action for a GCC wide Information Society

With the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) fast approaching in November 2005, GCC nations are stepping up preparations to present their information society achievements at the global forum. But how far has the region succeeded in creating a knowledge based society? Have GCC nations been able to include all members of society in the information revolution? Where is the GCC region in comparison with the rest of the world in terms of info society development?

These are just some of the questions that will be addressed at the 10th Dubtech Summit. The conference calls for serious soul searching on why GCC information society projects fail and what can be done to ensure greater success. It focuses on the GCC information society and aims to bring about a region wide master plan for future development in that area. IT decision makers from the six GCC governments will present the major initiatives and the current information society scenario in their countries.

Organized by Datamatix, the conference will take place at the Burj Al Arab, Dubai UAE on the 8th and 9th of February and will feature key note presentations by international information society experts and representatives from GCC governments.

Among the regional and international speakers who will join the event are Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Mohannadi, General Manager, E-Government Project, Qatar, Dr. Adel Ghannam, President and Principal Consultant, Industrial Systems & Global Enterprise, Egypt, William Davies, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Public Policy Research UK, Dr. James Archibald, Director of Translation Studies, McGill University Canada, Dr. Thomas Hart, Project Manager, Bertelsmann Foundation Germany, Mr. Osama Manzar, Founder Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation, India and Dr. Sofiane Sahraoui, Associate Professor of MIS, American University of Sharjah.

The 10th Dubtech Summit aims to showcase the GCC's achievements in Digital Inclusion, e-Business, e-Government and much more. It deals with issues like: why regional IT efforts fail despite the enormous support from the government, human capacity building, infrastructure requirements for the regional Information Society, etc. Participants will discuss required Plans of Action and the strategic approach needed to develop and realize the GCC information society.

"In general, Arab countries have lagged behind the western world in adopting IT as a key component of social and economic development" said Ali Al Kamali, Managing Director, Datamatix, "But that trend is gradually changing for the better. Regional governments are increasing efforts to create a knowledge based society in the region."

"With the Dubtech Summit, we hope to bring about a common vision amongst GCC nations for building a regional information society and using Information & Communication Technologies (ICT's) to drive development in the GCC. It aims to help prepare GCC nations to present their information society achievements at the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in Tunisia in November, 2005", he added.

The conference will be attended by senior IT decision makers from the government and private sector, business leaders and top level executives. It will provide many benchmarking and networking opportunities for attendees and invited guests.