The Information Technology Association of Jordan (int@j) opened the 'Mena ICT Forum 2010,' a leading information and communications technology event, in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT).

The premier biennial ICT and ICT enabled services (ICTES) industry event was held in Jordan under the patronage of King Abdullah II from October 10 to 11.

Addressing the gathering, Marwan Juma, Minister of ICT, said, “We’ve come a long way since we started, and the ICT Sector delivered on its promises made and Jordanian ICT products and services are fueling the development locally, regionally, and internationally.”

Today, a strong private sector and a world-class infrastructure are enabling the development of a competitive ICT industry in Jordan for the benefit of government, businesses, and citizens, he noted.

Starting with 'Jordan’s ICT Action Plan' in 2000, the Reach Initiative has set key milestones for Jordan’s transformation into a knowledge based economy and society as well as a strong private ICT Sector.

'Under the patronage of King Abdullah II, the first Jordan ICT gathering was held at the Dead Sea in March of 2000 with the aim of capitalizing on Jordan’s main asset, the human capital, to develop a vibrant ICT sector in Jordan,' the minister said.

In response to the Reach initiative, both the MoICT and the int@j were created as public and private ICT sector leaders’ representatives respectively, and a strong ICT industry contributing more than 14 per cent to the GDP has been created with more than 80,000 employment opportunities.

Elaborating on the 'Mena ICT Forum 2010' and its underlying connotations, Aiman Mazahreh, chairman of int@j said: 'It is a key event for industry leaders to convene, collaborate and identify areas for development and advancement.'

'Over the next few days, we will witness defining moments for the industry in our region which will crystallize regional opportunities that will shape the future for ICT and ICTES,' he added.

'The ICT sector is one of the main niches in Jordan where stakeholders have worked hand in hand to develop policy and legislation within the sector, implement capacity building programs, carry out marketing and promotion activities locally, regionally, and internationally, and provide ICT Sector members with value-added services to help them grow and prosper,' stated Mazahreh.

The forum aims not only at sharing the collective knowledge and experience of global and regional experts and key industry players, but also serve as a venue through which industry players can meet to workout productive partnerships that will lead to further growth, ensuring that the Region is in-line with strategic direction of the global ICT industry.

More importantly, the forum will build on the already existing commitments of authorities in the Region to enable their citizens and establishments to compete in national, regional, and global markets, simply because productivity increases through better access and use of information.-TradeArabia News Service