The Arab ICT Organization (AICTO) co-organized with Huawei the interregional forum entitled “Collaboration to Unleash Innovation for Sustainable Digital Future” which was held on the 11th of October 2022 at Dubai World Trade Center in UAE in parallel with “GITEX”.
This important forum witnessed high-level participation and attendance of government leaders from different sectors in the region, industry analysts, and academics from technical universities and ICT ecosystem partners in the Middle East and Africa region.
During the inaugural session, HE/Eng. Mohamed Ben Amor, Director General of the Arab ICT Organization (AICTO) mentioned in his speech: “We are very delighted with this collaboration with Huawei around an insightful topic becoming increasingly the keystone for sustainable technological development. If “INNOVATION” was always and will remain the engine of economic and social progress with a profound transformational impact on our lives, Technological Innovation will be, without any doubt, the compulsory way towards a better digital future. Therefore, we highly trust that Technological Innovation will help in transforming challenges into opportunities and shortening the path to achieving our common goals. This requires, in particular, the setup of a strong regional and international cooperation framework to strengthen national and regional innovation systems and models leading to innovative and sustainable technological initiatives
From his side, Mr. Jeff Wang, Global President of Public Affairs and Communications, at Huawei, delivered a keynote opening speech to highlight Huawei’s commitment to supporting the MEA digital transformation and ICT sustainability future and said: “We take pride in collaborating with AICTO in the organization of this important event, bringing industry leaders together to provide in-depth insights on the role of ICT future sustainability in the digitalization of the Middle East and Africa. Digitalization has accelerated across the globe and only through open collaboration we can achieve shared success and collectively unleash innovation for building the anticipated digital economy in the region and drive a sustainable, intelligent world.”
Additionally, various high-level speakers delivered important speeches during the event most notably H.E. Zhang Yiming, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to UAE, H.E. Dr. Fadia Kiwan, Director General of Arab Women Organization, H.E. Dr. Khaled Wali, Director of the ICT Department at the League of Arab States, H.E. Dr. Elsadig Gamaleldeen Elsadig Karar, Director General of the Telecommunications and Post Regulatory Authority of Sudan (TPRA), H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al-Ohali, President of KFU (King Faisal University) and Jawad Abbasi, Head of MENA, GSMA…
This forum discussed many key topics, such as green ICT for the sustainable future of sectors and industries, the ICT talent ecosystem, and empowering women in ICT in the MEA region. In addition to the emerging technologies in the Middle East and Africa, highlighting the importance of cybersecurity and discussing the benefits of integrating technologies like 5G, Cloud and AI in supporting verticals, key industries, businesses and public services.
Another key topic is building talent ecosystems to create future ICT leaders and strategies for strengthening the ICT skill development path for key sectors and industries. ICT talent is significant in driving digital transformation and realizing national plans and visions.
The forum has also discussed with key industry and academic leaders, the role of public-private partnerships in fostering innovation and equipping the youth with the right tools to become future ICT leaders. Also the importance of working with universities and other organizations to improve ICT programs and the need to address the gaps and challenges in the cyber security sector, in addition to the role of women in ICT.
In this digital era, AICTO and Huawei strongly believe that more opportunities and support must be given to women to ensure they have access to the education and training they need to be fundamentally competitive in the digital economy. Equipping women with these skills has proven to promote social integration and inclusive and diversified societies.
During her speech, H.E. Dr. Fadia Kiwan, Director General of the Arab Women Organization, said : “The COVID-19 pandemic and various crises in countries across the world have highlighted the importance of technology as a solution for women and girls to access essential services and information, learn, communicate with friends and relatives and as a key enabler of equality and future economic prospects.” “Therefore, women and girls’ access to ICT and digital skills will speed up their empowerment and increase their contribution to the national economy. Ultimately, access To ICT for girls paves the way for a better future for Arab societies.”