A cooperation agreement between the Arab Business Forum for Information and Communication Technology (ABFICT), and Arab Broadband Internet Forum (ABIF) has been signed today on the sideline of the third annual conference of ABFICT, held in JW Marriot, Dubai.
Mohamed Hassan Omran, ABFICT Co-chairman, CEO, Etisalat and Chairman of Thuraya, signed the agreement with Ahmed Al Oteify, ABIF Executive Board member.
“This agreement aims at creating an environment of cooperation between the two entities in the field of research and development, and to support regional projects that will advance Arab progression in the field of ICT,” said Dr. Adel Danish, ABFICT Co-Chairman and Chairman, Masreya. “We will work together to present different projects to international sponsors, develop and advance the digital systems applications and broadband internet, and boost the distribution and use of Arabic products and services in the field of internet.”
The forum focused on three main areas including Outsourcing: The road for better Arab economy; Future Arab ICT Trends: Content & Convergence and Interconnectivity: Arab's main tool for the Information Society.
It is worth mentioning that the ABFICT was established in January 2002, when over 80 Arabian CEOs and businessmen came together to reaffirm their strong belief in the necessity of close cooperation in the field of Communications and Information Technology. Guided by the resolutions of the Arab Summit held earlier in Amman, the Arabian CEOs and businessmen launched ABFICT 2002. During its inaugural sessions, ABFICT elected its executive committee members, co-chaired by Dr. Adel Danish, Chairman and CEO of Masreya Information Systems, and Mohammad Hassan Omran, CEO of Etisalat.
The previous meetings of ABFICT coincided with major events that took place in the Arab region within 2003 and 2004. The first took place in January 2003 during Cairo ICT and was attended by key figures within the ICT sector and discussed crucial issues to the region. The second forum was held during ITU Telecom Africa. About five ICT ministers participated, and the discussions were enriched by different visions and offered various solutions.
