Qatari Emir opens Arab summit

HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani opened on Tuesday Connect the Arab World Summit 2012 at the Doha Sheraton Hotel in presence of several Their Highnesses and Excellencies guests of the country. HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser attended the opening. The opening was also attended by HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, a number of Their Excellencies Sheikhs and Ministers and Heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to the country. Addressing the Summit opening session, HH the Emir said that the summit is being held amidst many crucial challenges facing the Arab nation, which must work hard to meet these challenges and protect its interests. Today, no one can fall behind the path of development and civilization. Nations that are aware of the digital world have already set up their worlds, civilizations and new values, HH the Emir said. The civilization of science and knowledge represents a challenge for the Arab countries, HH the Emir said, yet, expressed great confidence in the experts, specialists and researchers from the Arab youth who can overcome this challenge by the continued and sustained scientific work. Technology and knowledge have become strategic tools to achieve real development. They represent main elements in the economy of the various world countries as they overlap in many areas. Economic information is the basis of every action or achievement. No country in the world can dispense the information upon which the national economy is built, HH the Emir underlined. All actors in the Arab world including governments, private sector, civil society organizations and financing institutions must activate the role of telecommunications and information technology in the fight against poverty, create employment opportunities for young people and support the region's economies to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, HH the Emir said. "We should work to bridge the knowledge, technological and digital gap between our Arab countries and developed countries that absorbed the technology, used it, and produced it to become their most important source of income," HH the Emir said, adding, that can only established by providing telecommunications services to all citizens of Arab countries, confront the technological literacy, open the doors of modern knowledge and to encourage scientific innovation and inventions. Stemmed from Qatar's belief in the importance of the modern technology of communication and information, the country has made the knowledge-based economy since the beginning of the third millennium one of its most important means to meet the challenges of economic and social development, HH the Emir underlined. HH the Emir referred to Qatar National Vision 2030 which includes the development of the information, telecommunications and technology infrastructure among its comprehensive development vision, noting that the country is working on expanding the investment in these sectors to be a major source of the national income in the future. Therefore, the country established the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology and Qatar Science and Technology Park which dedicated research and development efforts in many areas such as education and health in addition to e-government. The country also issued relevant legislations such as the communications law and transactions and electronic commerce law, HH the Emir added. The satellite (Es'Hail), which Qatar will launch in the near future, will have a profound impact on the advancement of information technology and telecommunications in the country, HH the Emir underlined. HH the Emir stressed the need to communicate and promote partnerships among all Arab countries more effectively, especially after the Arab spring revolutions which imposed radical changes on the Arab arena, noting that technology had played a major and influential role in these revolutions. HH the Emir expressed Qatar's readiness to cooperate and support all Arab countries or private sectors whether through specialized scientific institutes or through individuals. Concluding, HH the Emir praised the efforts exerted by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in helping to connect the world by supporting the growth of communication and information networks and the sustainable development for all countries in the world, especially the developing countries.