Arabize the Internet, says Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, the new E-business chief of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris. "Arabic should be among the first five new languages to be incorporated on the Internet," he added.
In an address to the "E-Commerce and the Law" seminar, Abu-Ghazaleh stressed the need to develop infrastructure and education. Several programs are taking shape in many Arab countries to keep pace with the "E-world". Discussions are underway among development bodies in the Arab world to create a knowledge society, and preparations are being made to hold computer literacy programs for the common man in association with Cambridge University.
Broad economic and structural reforms and an appropriate regulatory environment are crucial to bridging the Digital Divide between countries, Abu-Ghazaleh said. Businesses can develop the information and communication networks, but it was up to governments to create a regulatory environment. "Business can build the vehicle for the journey across the Digital Divide; it is up to governments to smooth the path."
Earlier, Saeed Saif bin Jaber Al Suwaidi, president of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, underscored the need for E-commerce laws in the UAE.