Arab ICT Forum 2020 kicks off

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The 6th edition of the Arab ICT Forum 2020 kicked off virtually today under the theme “ICT: Driver for Innovation and Sustainability”. Held under the patronage of Board Chairperson of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Meriam Ahmed Juma’an, the forum was organised by the ICT Committee of the Federation of Arab Engineers in cooperation with Bahrain Society of Engineers. An elite of specialists and experts in the ICT field participated in the event which was attended by more than 660 participants from 35 countries.

The TRA Board Chairperson, Meriam Ahmed Juma’an, said in her inaugural speech that the forum was held remotely in line with the recommendations of the specialised authorities, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. She pointed out that the decision to hold the forum virtually instead of cancelling it was because of the massive turnout in the previous edition. She added the decision is a reassertion of the importance of using the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to challenge the rules of social distancing imposed by the pandemic. She noted that the decision was welcomed by the organising parties and sponsors of the forum.

The TRA Board Chairperson stressed that the coronavirus pandemic showed the strength and capabilities of ICT with most work all over the word being carried out online. She pointed out that the forum was held this year under the theme “ICT: Driver for Innovation and Sustainability” to cast light on the transformational potentials of ICT in shaping the digital economy and nurturing the fourth industrial revolution to become a driving force to fast-track the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).