Page 4 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2022

EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS

Sustainable ICT Development & Digital Enablement

Presently, economic growth and sustain- industry initiatives to yield good outcomes
ability across every function of business for socio-economic transformation and
and life are among the most pressing focus service delivery, adequate underlying ICT
areas for the ICT Industry. It is important to infrastructure is crucial, well-supported
recognize how digital solutions and ICT infra- by Telecom Operators and financially
structure can help our region in achieving sustainable to absorb and maintain all future
digital-economy goals as well as in realizing energy efficiency and sustainability needs.
green, low-carbon and high-productivity
based economic transformation. Needless Creating a sustainable ICT environment as
it is to say, such transformation should be the enabler of a sustainable digital economy
human-centric, digitally-powered, and be is both a challenge and opportunity area,
mindful of the needs of the next generations especially as greater resource mobilization
and the environment. for building future digital infrastructure
emerges as a priority need. As the year 2023
Telecom/ICT Private Sector, on its approaches us and brings new challenges,
evolutionary as well as revolutionary path, opportunities, and imperatives to work ever Bocar A. BA
Chief Executive Officer
is creating new opportunities, digitally more closely together, SAMENA Council & Board Member
enabling business and societal functions, anticipates eventful months ahead, starting SAMENA Telecommunications
and creating new experiences. It is also with its RISE Conference, which would Council
strengthening the digital foundation on steer the discussion on ICT sustainability
which educational delivery, financing and digital infrastructure development
services and inclusion, efficient municipal from multiple angles to SAMENA Council's
processes, for example, will be carried out in collaboration with both regional and global
a world of smart connectedness. bodies on elements that would be necessary
for ensuring ICT sustainability. Fruitful
At this stage, both as society and as industry, engagement and outcomes expected from
sustainable ICT development requires deliberations with the Industry stakeholders
access to new capital and new funding and decision-makers from across industries
and financing mechanisms to build new or would also be an enabler of the Council's
revamp existing digital infrastructure. This endeavors throughout the new year.
is required across all countries and such
capital investments have to come from At the conclusion of 2022 and the dawn of
a broad range of contributors. Incentives 2023, I wish all colleagues, friends, leaders,
would play a critical role in this regard. The and resource mobilizers of the Industry a
role of leading financing institutions, such Happy New Year and extend the Council's
as those with which SAMENA Council is best wishes to stc Group, Mobily, China
closely engaged within the SA-ME-NA region Mobile, the ITU, the Saudi CST Commission,
in building collaboration bridges with leading DCO, and SAP Signavio, and valued Members
ICT industry players, can also be a game- of SAMENA Council on their valued collabo-
changer in future ICT development and ration in our upcoming RISE Conference in
digital enablement. Riyadh. May the year 2023 bring prosperity
and new successes in digital transformation
For all collaborations and intra and inter- and enablement to all.

4 NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2022