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The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) collaborated with the International Institute of Communications (IIC) in hosting the Inaugural IIC Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Chapter Event yesterday in the St. Regis Doha Hotel with the aim of exchanging ideas and experiences that contribute to promoting the development of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in the region.

The one-day event was attended by senior representatives of regulators, policymakers, experts, and specialists in the ICT field from various countries of the MENA region.

The participants presented various presentations like the; CRA and the telecom Service Providers Ooredoo Qatar Q.P.S.C. and Vodafone Qatar P.Q.S.C. where they presented their preparations and telecom network statistics related to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. During the event SAP's Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA South) region conducted a presentation under the title: “Digital Transformation and Data: Smart data governance”. Furthermore, the International Data Corporation (IDC) delivered a presentation about the “Digital Regulations”. Moreover, CRA presented its plans for hosting the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26) in the State of Qatar.

The event included various discussions, one of which was related to the objectives and priorities of regional regulators for 2023, where participants talked about how the industry can work together with regulators with respect to achieving these objectives. Furthermore, the event included a discussion about enhancing national resilience through investment in international connectivity, where representatives of Ooredoo Group and Axon Partners Group ('Axon') discussed the importance of international connectivity in the communications ecosystem.

Hassan Jassim Al Sayed, Advisor to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Technical Affairs said: “We are pleased to host the Inaugural IIC MENA Chapter Event, which represents an exceptional platform for networking with peers from across the region, to discuss a wide range of issues and challenges facing the industry. We hosted this event out of our keenness to create an environment that promotes innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange, and out of our endeavor to stay in touch with international organizations and unions, to open horizons of cooperation and strengthen partnerships, towards the ICT sector development. I would also like to thank the IIC for their efforts and cooperation in organizing this event”. 

Lynn Robinson, Director General, International Institute of Communications said: “I am delighted to be in Doha, the State of Qatar, for the launch of the IIC's regional Chapter for the MENA. We are pleased with the discussions, which featured leading figures from industry and policymaking bodies in the region, who shared their knowledge and experiences. The event was an excellent opportunity for participants, from across the region, to meet and network. My thanks go to our host, CRA, for not only their support with the event, but for a warm welcome to the State of Qatar”.