Page 143 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Jordan

The revenues of the telecommunications and information that this comes under royal directives to create an investment
technology sectors by the end of 2018 reached US$2.2 billion, environment capable of providing services and boost partnership
marking a 4.5 per cent growth rate for the two sectors combined, with the private sector. The TRC is also keen on preparing the
the ICT Association of Jordan announced. According to an [email requirements and appropriate environment to accommodate
protected] survey, $1.42 billion of revenue was attributed to the 5G services in the local market in coordination with the service
telecommunications sector, with a growth rate of 1.5 per cent, providers, he added. He stated that the goal is to introduce
and $750 million in revenue to the IT sector, that grew by 10.7 per these services in the near future, make it available to users at a
cent, attributing this increase to tax incentives endorsed in 2016. reasonable cost, and bring in investors from the private sector.
The survey was based on data [email protected] collected from 5G is marked by its high speeds of transferring large data and
ICT companies in the Kingdom, and showed that Jordan is still its integration with advanced technology based on modern
a strategic destination for ICT sectors in the region, the Jordan techniques, allowing it to become an economic platform that
News Agency, Petra, reported. A total of 17,698 employees worked supports the transition to a digital economy and the concepts of
for the ICT sectors in 2018, without any change in the number the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Jabour said. He pointed out that
when compared to 2017, [email protected] said, noting that the the network also provides services and applications in the health,
sector witnessed “strong” female participation, as opportunities education, transport, water, industry and smart cities sectors.
for women increased by 3 per cent. Males occupy 67 per cent of (September 16, 2019) menafn.com
the total jobs in the sector. As for exports, the IT sector’s exports
in 2018 totaled $262 million, where the Gulf Cooperation Council Jordan advanced by 11.5 points in the mobile connectivity to the
countries and Iraq amounted to 60.5 per cent of the sector’s Internet index to 53.8 points in 2018, compared to 42.3 points in
exports, while local revenues stood at $487 million, which means 2014, as shown by a Global System for Mobile Communications
that 65 per cent of the revenues were generated from the local Association report. The index, which includes 163 countries,
economy, according to Petra. The association said that despite evaluates the advancements of countries in terms of Internet
the 19 per cent increase in local IT revenue in 2018, the sector’s use over the period 2014-2018, the Jordan News Agency,
growth rate in revenue went down by 2.2 per cent. The investment Petra reported. On the international competitiveness index,
volume in the telecommunications sector went down in 2018 by the Kingdom advanced four ranks in 2018 to the 52nd among
9.5 per cent to $192 million, Petra reported. 63 countries, compared with the 56th in 2017, according the
(September 22, 2019) jordantimes.com annual report of the International Institute for Management
Development. This index is an “important” tool for policy
The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) said makers and decision makers in various economic sectors, as
that Jordan is preparing to introduce the 5th generation cellular it ranks the competitiveness of the overall economy and sub-
network (5G) technology in a move that aims to make the sectors, while relying on factors such as economic performance,
Kingdom a frontrunner in bringing advanced services to the government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure,
market. Chairman of the TRC, Ghazi Jabour, said the commission according to Petra. Telecommunication Regulatory Commission
spoke to the country’s three mobile telecommunications service Chief Commissioner Ghazi Jbour said that the advancement in
providers, Zain, Orange, and Umniah, about conducting technical international indexes reflects the Kingdom’s development in
experiments to operate the 5G technology using the 3640-3700 various sectors, noting that the mobile connectivity to the Internet
MHz and 3740-3800 MHz frequency bands. In a press statement, is an important ranking that shows the level of development in the
Jabour pointed to the TRC’s keenness to provide the necessary information and communications technology sector.
support for the implementation of these experiments, noting (August 31, 2019) jordantimes.com

Kuwait

The Chairman of regulatory authority Eng. Salim Al-Ozainah, the Chinese company (Huawei) and its future partnerships. Al-
confirmed that he is keen to turn the Kuwait into a regional center Ozainah added that Citra, in the framework of its future strategy,
for data storage and preservation. This was made in a statement is working to transform Kuwait into an economic center for the
made by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the chairmanship environment, in order to implement the vision of His Highness the
of the Delegation of the State of Kuwait at the events of the Amir of the country, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah
Conference (Huawei Connect 2019) which is held in the Chinese (New 2035) in the fields of communications and the technology
city of Shanghai entitled “Smart Development” from September of information. He revealed the project of the general corridor for
the 18th to the 20th and that is to announce the strategy of communications, which will link Kuwait to Iraq, passing through
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