Leading telecom system integrators have gathered this week to identify emerging opportunities within the Middle East’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector at the annual Huawei Middle East Core Partners Convention 2014 held in Dubai, UAE.
Some of the key advancements outlined at the forum included planning the next wave of 4G & 5G mobile broadband networks, the progression of national broadband policies in the Middle East, and what new information technologies are set to be introduced in the region to deliver on governments’ plans for more intelligent and connected Smart City initiatives. The event was attended by 90 leading ICT suppliers and approximately 170 partners from across the Middle East.
This year’s Convention featured a series of high-level keynotes hosted by regional and global Huawei executives including Mr. Xia Chaojie, Vice President of Huawei Middle East Delivery & Service, and Mr. Pan En, Vice President of Huawei Middle East, on the anticipated demands from individuals and businesses for ICT connectivity in the year ahead. The speakers also recapped Huawei 2013 achievements and 2014 goals, including updates to Huawei’s global policy for procurement and outsourcing for encouraging further cooperation in developing the Middle East technology sector.
It is estimated that Middle East IT spend will total approximately $211 billion in 2014, an 8 percent increase from 2013, driven in part by large IT investments in industries such as government, manufacturing, banking and communications.
“There are extraordinary opportunities available today to actors within the region’s ICT ecosystem; both to enhance their businesses operations and make possible a new era of digital innovation,” commented Pan En, Vice President of Huawei Middle East. “We believe at the core of this evolution will be an emphasis on business integrity, social responsibility and network safety. Achieving this will take the collective efforts of many different actors working through forums like the Core Partners Convention to create a competitive industry chain where all can prosper within a better connected world.”
Several leading resellers and telecom partners were also honored for their outstanding contribution to driving the advancement of the Middle East ICT sector during an awards ceremony hosted at the convention.
As one of the world’s largest multinational ICT companies, the Middle East is a significant region for Huawei as both a growth driver and a region where Huawei contributes to the development of the ICT sector overall. Today the company operates as an end-to-end solutions provider serving telecom carriers, enterprises and consumers alike with offices across 10 countries and around 4,000 employees in the Middle East alone.
