Princess Sumaya calls for improving laws to support ICT sector

AMMAN — The cooperation of all stakeholders is needed to ensure the success of the ICT sector, HRH Princess Sumaya, president of the Royal Scientific Society said on Monday.

Communication between universities and improving legislation to boost the competitiveness of the sector are crucial for ensuring continued growth, the princess said in an address delivered on her behalf by Issa Batarseh, president of the Princess Sumaya University for Technology, at the opening of the Arab Advisers Group’s 11th Convergence Summit in Amman.

The princess stressed the importance of investing in human capital, which drives innovation.

“A vibrant education system is crucial to increase the competitiveness of the ICT sector.”

The ICT sector, she said, can transform the economy of countries, calling for enhancing the business climate in Jordan.

The two-day summit — organised by the Arab Advisers Group and attended by 520 senior executives representing 175 regional and global telecom, media and technology companies — concludes on Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Jawad Abbassi, the founder and general manager of the Arab Advisers Group, reviewed major challenges facing the media and the ICT sectors.

He said taxes have negatively affected the telecom sector and companies’ ability to invest, especially since their investments are important to enhance ICT infrastructure and improve services.

The number of mobile and Internet users in the Arab world is on the rise, which necessitates enhancing ICT infrastructure, Abbassi added.

The 11th Convergence Summit discussion panels are focusing on the state of the industry globally and regionally, the future of telecom services and media consumption in the region, start-ups’ role, cloud computing trends, and strategies for broadcast, online and social media in addition to the status of Internet-of-Things in the Arab World, among other issues.