Session I
Impact of Multinational Presence on the Development of the ICT Sector
This session was moderator by Dr. Sabri Saidam, President Advisor for Telecom, IT and Tech Education and featured Dr. Mashhour Abu Dakka, Minister of Telecommunication and IT. The session highlighted a presentation from the multinational company CISCO presented by Mr. Anthony Vonsee, General Manager for Cisco North Africa & the Levant. Other main speakers included Mr. Ibrahim Barham, CEO Safad, Mr. Maher Hamdan, CEO Paltrade and Ms. Gisel Hiscock, New Business Development team for Google Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The Speakers have made it a point that realistically, Palestine being under the Israeli occupation it will hamper the development of the economy. However, attracting multinational companies such as Microsoft and CISCO to invest in Palestine is a business and an economic decision where Palestine’s government and private sector have to develop its business case.

We heard a formula from the distinguished Speakers that the recipe for developing the business case starts internally. A holistic approach towards developing government regulation such as an independent telecommunication regulator, digital signature, catering for venture capital industry as part of the company registration and investment laws, also regulation for free zone culminating in Technoparks projects should drive an enabling and friendly environment as a first measurement for multinationals to consider investing in Palestine. As a first step to globalizing the ICT sector, the government has to invest in developing the infrastructure such as telecommunication, regulations, physical premises, human capital and in promoting innovation as well as entrepreneurship. continue

In next few days Sadaf Technology Development Company will lunch a new unique internet project in Palestine and meddle east called ZAAD.

The hole meaning of ZAAD in the Arabic language that thing help the traveler and he need during the trip.

So if a one of us need to search for some information like “how to cook Mjadara” he may use Google search engine or msn to found any information related with “Mjaddra” and he will found many result about that ,the life became easy.

Therefore My Team in Sadaf Technology Development develops new solutions to help people to find specific information that not implement in search information like Google.

For example when any one needs to search about technology company in Palestine he will use Google or any search engine or directory but I sour he will can’t find good information.

But if you use ZAAD and just type “tech” in search box you will found not only many information but specific information like company name ,logo, contact numbers ,address’s ,emails, website and contact person and his title.

From this point we develop ZAAD and work hard on this project for five month to release it soon.

ZAAD team not normal team,All of us have a job in ZAAD and we complete each other.