He said that in the opening statement of a seminar on the International Trade Agreement and the telecommunications sector. This seminar which began its work in Kuwait the day before yesterday, was organized by the Mobile Phones Company, the Arab Telecommunications Company and Al Dar Consulting of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh & Co. International (TAGI).
Abu-Ghazaleh said that the protection of telecommunications sector is on the decline, pointing out that there are two main reasons underline the need for liberalization of this sector. The first one is that the technical progress in this sector is very rapid in a way that doesn’t allow any national telecommunications institution or company anywhere in the world to cope with it and face its challenges. He added that technology is always moving forward without interruption.
The second reason, according to Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, is that only through liberalization the telecommunications infrastructure can achieve its objectives as the cornerstone of the new digital economy. He noted that although we hear about the importance of privatization, liberalization, which means the fair competition, is more important.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh said that the Arab region is currently on the fringes to enter to the global economy, and that we have a historic opportunity to go into the global knowledge economy from its wide doors. He explained that in order to achieve this we must create a dynamic telecommunicational open market in a transparent competitive environment.
Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh reemphasized that improving the means of telecommunication and establishing a modern digital infrastructure has become the cornerstone of the national development, and this infrastructure will decide whether we are rich or poor in knowledge. He added that producing wealth in the future will be a knowledge industry, and rich future people will be knowledge workers which the telecommunications and information technology form its infrastructure.