Page 79 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Egypt’s Communications, Immigration Ministries to Cooperate in Digital

Transformation

The Egyptian Ministry of Communications and
Information Technology signed a protocol of
cooperation with the Ministry of Immigration
and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs to develop
the latter’s information technology (IT)
infrastructure. The collaboration comes in line
with the country’s efforts to promote digital
transformation in all sectors in the country,
minister of immigration Nabila Makram said in
a statement. The Communications Minister Amr
Talaat noted that the protocol aims to develop
the IT infrastructure and governance, as well as
working on the institutional and administrative
reform and development of the immigration
ministry. The three-year protocol will be
implemented with an estimated budget of about
EGP 40 million, Talaat added.

Ooredoo’s FASTtelco Expands Range via Global Zone Kuwait Partnership
with Batelco

Ooredoo Kuwait and its ISP subsidiary a carrier-neutral internet exchange, Cloud Direct Connect], Global Zone, MPLS and
FASTtelco have partnered Bahrain’s Connect solutions, and IP telephony (IPT) MN-IX. The establishment of Global Zone
Batelco to establish ‘Global Zone Kuwait’ solutions, which will also be available in Kuwait – this extensive regional footprint
carrier neutral data center interconnection Global Zone Kuwait for B2B customers – will provide our clients with access to
services, supported by infrastructure and partners of Ooredoo/FASTtelco additional global fiber routes for minimized
incorporating Batelco’s wholly owned and Batelco. Abdulaziz al-Babtain, chief latency and ultra-high performance and I
terrestrial cable system Batelco Gulf business officer at Ooredoo Kuwait, am certain that it will significantly boost
Network (BGN). Batelco’s Global Zone confirmed: ’The expanded partnership FASTtelco’s capacity to support local and
Tier III data center, launched in 2019, with Batelco will give FASTtelco access regional businesses and organizations to
supports a digital business solutions to a new set of products to further grow meet demanding cloud applications.’
portfolio including Manama-IX (MN-IX), its portfolio by offering AWS DX [AWS

1,036 New e-Commerce Licenses Issued in UAE in 6 Months

A total of 1,036, new e-commerce licenses investors in e-commerce activities, many referring to estimates by relevant national
were issued in the UAE during the first six specialist studies expect this sector to authorities, including the ministry. "Many
months of 2020, according to National grow in the future. "The demand for online of the UAE’s competitive advantages
Economic Registry of the Ministry of shopping has witnessed a significant will contribute to the future development
Economy, indicating a growth in the sector. increase by over 300 percent," it added, of e-commerce, most notably the
The statistics showed that the number of while quoting statistics issued by major country’s advanced telecommunications
e-commerce licenses issued in May and shopping centers around the country. "This and e-services infrastructure and the
June 2020 amounted to 112, a 12.1 percent continuous growth may lead to a surge in significant rise in the use of the internet
rise compared to April 2020. The Ministry the sector’s value to over AED72 billion and smartphones," according to the
noted that in light of the growing interest of by the end of 2020," the data showed, Ministry.

79 JUNE-JULY 2020