The Telecom World 2018, a global event focused on technologies, innovations, ideas, policies and regulations to bridge the digital divide, provided Qatar with an excellent platform to drive its digital transformation and for strategic networking opportunities with innovation leaders.
The event organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Durban, South Africa concluded on September 13, 2018 and attracted 3,100 participants from 94 countries, 300 exhibitors, 157 speakers, 43 panel sessions, workshops and sponsored sessions, 65 shortlisted SMEs for the ITU Telecom World Awards 2018, and over 200 leaders and decision makers from 74 countries.
A high level Qatari delegation, led by His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al-Mannai, President of the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA), was supported by His Excellency Abdullah Hussein Al-Jaber, Qatar's Ambassador to South Africa, and Her Excellency Reem Al-Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary of Digital Society Development Sector, Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC).
H.E. Al-Mansoori was a speaker at "Smart cities: innovations in sustainable urban living" session, an important discussion at the Telecom Forum under the broad theme of “Innovation for smarter digital development”. The Forum discussion was attended by influential global audience spanning governments, key ICT industry players, international organizations, high-growth SMEs, consultants, academia, media and more. Besides Smart Cities, other key topics covered included technological developments and impacts in 5G, IoT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital literacy, supporting tech SME growth, and the challenges, and opportunities of the digital age.
"ITU Telecom World this year featured inspiring showcases of cutting-edge technology and innovations that are truly reflect the social impact and the progress made in the ICT sector on a daily basis. Together with the MoTC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices abroad, it is CRA’s intention to bring the Qatari technology innovations to such international platforms to showcase the potential our young entrepreneurs have. This will truly help CRA achieve its objective of enabling the development of a sustainable digital society for the people of Qatar,” said H.E. Al-Mannai.
"The advancement in digital technologies has opened up new avenues to transform the way spaces we live in. Qatar is adapting and integrating cutting-edge technologies to help achieve outstanding results and innovation for our people. Smart technology drives sustainable growth across different sectors of the economy however, it is vital to ensure that the Qatari society in general and businesses are empowered with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to use ICT effectively to transform Qatar into a truly information-based economy. Initiatives such as the TASMU Smart Qatar program, are driving Qatar's digital transformation towards a smart future," said H.E. Al-Mansoori.
"The State of Qatar and the Republic of South Africa have witnessed a steady increase in the development of bilateral relations and in multiple areas including political, economic and investment. ITU Telecom World has provided an excellent platform enabling the ICT sector to leverage local and global digital capabilities, and promoting key investment opportunities with innovation partners across the world to bring the best practices and ideas to Qatar," said H.E. Al-Jaber.
The Telecom Exhibition included 300 exhibitors, sponsors and partners from 32 countries. Delegates explored innovative smart digital solutions, SMEs and technologies in fields such as e-health, e-agriculture, e-education, digital government services and digital finance. On show were life-enhancing innovations spanning such topics as intelligent agriculture, health screening platforms, IoTs, powered energy security services, digital finance, virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR), smart learning, Internet of Vehicles and more.
ITU Telecom world 2019 will be organized in September 2019 in Budapest, Hungary, and will continue to act as the international platform connecting tech SMEs together with governments and corporates attracting ITU Member States, regulators, heads of international organizations, global media, digital experts and visionaries, leading ICT corporations and cutting-edge tech SMEs from the region and across the globe.