INSEAD seminar identifies areas for information and communications technology growth in the Middle East

INSEAD, the leading international business school, hosted a seminar on its Abu Dhabi campus entitled ‘Investment Policy and Innovation in the UAE, The Case of the ICT industry.’ Mr. Ian Sanders, Lead Partner, PwC’s Middle East TMT Leader, served as the guest speaker. The event is organised by INSEAD’s Innovation & Policy Initiative.

The breakfast seminar included a presentation by Mr. Sanders on the link between Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and economic growth. In his lecture, Mr. Sanders touched upon global trends in the ICT sector, ICT sector policy and regulation, and recent innovations in infrastructure/services while emphasizing the opportunity for growth in the UAE.

‘ICT investment plays a crucial role in the achievement of a wide range of policy objectives, including the development of a diversified economy and the efficient delivery of government services,’ said Neil Jones, INSEAD professor at the Abu Dhabi campus. ‘It is imperative that the UAE continue to innovate in services and processes enabled by these investments.’

Mr. Sanders added: ‘The UAE has a well developed telecoms regulatory regime and excellent infrastructure but worldwide the ICT sector is moving very fast and compared with advanced ICT hubs such as Singapore, there remains much to be done.’ 

While discussing the role of innovation in the ICT sector, Mr. Sanders pointed to healthcare as an area especially poised for growth due to ICT investment. He encouraged UAE-based telecom operators, health care providers and government agencies to work together to utilise technology to improve patient outcomes.

INSEAD’s Policy Breakfasts are a series of early morning seminars that focus on current policy issues through the lenses of academics and practitioners in industry and government.  The series is aimed at professionals concerned with government policy.