Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman of the Commission on Telecommunications, Information Technology and E-Commerce, Paris, confirmed that the growth of the national economy depends on creating and developing a dynamic, competitive, innovative and investment attracting telecommunications infrastructure, and that innovation in telecommunications thrives on openness and competitive environment.
This was stated in the opening speech of the World Trade Organization and Telecom Seminar which started on Tuesday, May 22, 2001 in Kuwait. The Seminar is organized by the Mobile Telecommunications Company, the Arab Telecommunications company and Al-Dar Consulting Co. of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh International.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh stated that protection of the domestic telecom sector is ultimately weakening, and there are two major reasons that liberalization is necessary: firstly, technology keeps on incessantly developing in a networked independent world, and secondly, it is only through liberalization that the telecom infrastructure will serve its purpose as the cornerstone in the new digital economy. In spite of what we hear about privatization, liberalization which means fair competition is most important.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh explained that the Arab region as a whole stands on the economic margins of the global economy, but we still have a historical opportunity of entering the mainstream. He said, to realize this it is urgent that we create a dynamic open telecommunication market in the Arab world with a transparent and competitive environment. Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, in his capacity as Chairman of the Commission on Telecommunications, Information Technology and E-Commerce at ICC, Paris undertook to give priority to support these sectors in the Arab countries, as ICC assumes a major role in laying down policies and developing technologies, on the basis of being an organizer of the world business society.
In his opening speech yesterday, Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh indicated the importance of telecommunications and its role in the economies of various countries. He explained the categories of telecommunication service which are basic telecommunications and value-added services.
He talked about the progress of this sector negotiations after the Uruguay Round and said that the progress realized in this Round was very limited. He explained the negative results and said that it is necessary for the countries which take liberalization measures to lay down an organizational framework which would ensure to the users access to the basic telecommunication facilities on fair conditions.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh re-emphasized that improving the means of communication and establishing a modern digital telecommunications infrastructure have become the cornerstone of the national development. Such infrastructure will decide whether we shall join the "knowledge rich" or the "knowledge poor", fully aware that wealth creations in the future will be a product of the knowledge industry and the rich of the future will be the knowledge workers working in a knowledge environment whose infrastructure is telecommunication.