Bahrain is expected to be one of the top five investors as spending on information technology in the region hits more than $9 billion by 2009.

Security and network protection will be among the major areas of focus at this year's Gitex Technology Week in Dubai, with leading companies unveiling new innovations designed to protect businesses and government organisations in the region.

Experts in the region concur that the level of infection, spam e-mail and malicious computer use has reached a point of becoming a management and technological burden, thus negatively impacting economic development.

Market research company IDC estimates that the total value of IT security spending for the region will touch $9.3bn by 2009, with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain being the top five investors.

As part of the GITEX Technology Week Global Conference, Dubai World Trade Centre will host a session dedicated to network and IT security, designed to encourage greater co-operation between different organisations in tackling computer security and addressing the need for advanced networking solutions.

'Network and IT security play an essential role in ensuring the confidentiality of business transactions and in protecting an organisation's reputation and will therefore be an important theme at Gitex Technology Week,' said Dubai World Trade Centre director- general Helal Saeed Al Marri.

'In 2007, we are looking to leverage the event's position as the region's largest ICT procurement platform to drive a discussion about how technology companies can work together to provide a higher level of integrated security for the Middle East.'

The event will run from September 8 to 12 at the 2007 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).