Page 71 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

UAE Maintains Top Position in ICT Sector among 134 Countries

The UAE has kept its pivotal place in a number of indicators,
including global competitiveness indicators related to the
information and communications technology (ICT) sector
according to the Global Knowledge Index (GKI) 2019, outpacing
134 countries. The UAE topped the list in the population covered
by mobile-cellular networks, Internet and telephony level of
competition, and active mobile-broadband subscriptions, along
with a remarkable record of fixed-broadband subscribers,
International Internet bandwidth per Internet user, ICT Inputs, and
Internet users, said a press release. The country has seen major
advance in investment in telecom services, rising to the fourth
globally in 2019 from the 86th in 2018, while being the second
globally in terms of subscriptions in 2019 after it was in the
seventh place in 2018. The report was released by Mohammed
Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation in collaboration
with the Regional Bureau for Arab States and the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP). “These results are the outcome of
the great efforts made by TRA team at The Telecommunications
Sector, in cooperation with TRA’s strategic partners, in line with
the directives of the wise leadership and keen to achieve the UAE’s
vision and future goals,” said TRA’s Director General, Hamad preparing their citizens for the future knowledge setting along
Obaid Al Mansoori. He added, “Today we are on the threshold of with equipping them with sufficient skills. It primarily works
a new phase of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation for comprehensive and sustainable development, therefore,
and smart services. This stage requires us to develop new plans it measures the knowledge related to different dimensions
and strategy through which we foresee the future, understand its of contemporary human life and transforms it into intelligent
requirements and work to achieve it based on the national human knowledge-based development.
cadres.” It is worth noting that the GKI 2019 assists leaders in

Bahrain Readies for $320 Billion Middle East AI Boom with WEF Future

Technology Workshop

The World Economic Forum’s Centre for the and economic development anticipated AI boom in the Middle East, with the sector
Fourth Industrial Revolution Network has by the dawn of artificial intelligence is contributing $320 billion to the region’s
hosted a workshop in Manama to discuss impressive. Visionary leadership enabling economy by 2030 – positioning Bahrain
the future of public Artificial Intelligence multidisciplinary coordination across and neighboring nations as a strategic
(AI) procurement, in partnership with the sectors demonstrates how a commitment development springboard. “Bahrain is a
Bahrain Economic Development board to responsible innovation can transform world leader when it comes to the testing,
and Bahrain’s Information & eGovernment how government works and help improve governance and regulation of emerging
Authority (iGA). The workshop follows people’s lives.” The workshop, held technologies, making it the ideal partner
closely on from the WEF Annual Meeting of between November 5th and 7th, brought for this World Economic Forum project.
the New Champions in Dalian, China. During together Bahrain government stakeholders, Governments around the world may be
the major global event, the World Economic entrepreneurs and experts to identify hesitant to adopt AI systems when faced
Forum announced that Bahrain would pilot key opportunities and challenges for the with complex procurement processes, but
new guidelines for the procurement of AI high-tech industry. The sessions also by working together we can create a model
in the public sector, produced by WEF’s helped to gather evidence and feedback that truly powers the public sector into the
Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. on the guidelines for AI procurement next generation of technology,” said Khalid
Eddan Katz, project lead, AI and Machine in the public sector and developed a Humaidan, chief executive of the Bahrain
Learning of WEF C4IR said: “The readiness roadmap to advance this goal among the EDB.
of Bahrain’s public sector for the social government of Bahrain. PwC predicted an

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