SAMENA Leadership & Excellence Awards & Leadership Debate at the Ultra Broad Band Forum 2023 in Dubai
Sense Strategy’s Founder and CEO delivered prizes together with the CEO of the SAMENA Council at the SAMENA Leadership & Excellence Awards and moderated the Leadership Debate on 10 Giga Infrastructure for Accelerating the Digital Economy at the Ultra-Broadband Forum 2023 in Dubai.
On the question: “What is the likely effect of the shift to 10 gigabit infrastructure on the region’s digital and real economy?”, Sense Strategy’s CEO responded:
“High speed broadband is an enabler of the digital economy but not only that, the real economy as well. The link between broadband speed and economic output has been well proven. In the calculations we made more than a decade ago, a doubling of broadband speed means a 0.3% positive boost to national GDP. Six of the highest valued companies in the world are ICT companies. Seven if you count Tesla. “
“The Middle East has five unicorns, meaning ICT companies valued at more than 1 billion USD (Careem, EMPG, Kitopi, Fawry and Swvl). Three were founded in the UAE and two in Egypt. Why not 25 new unicorns in the next decade from the Middle East, enabled by 10 gigabit infrastructure? The Middle East and the GCC, powered by ultramodern infrastructure should be a hub not only for energy, tourism, and entertainment, but tech as well. When this happens, and I say when not if, for it will happen, it will also lift the real economy across the region. Thank you!”
Sense Strategy’s Founder and CEO delivering prizes together with Bocar Ba, the Chief Executive Officer of the SAMENA Council. Among the winners were Etisalat e&, Omantel, Jazz, Tele2, AsiaCel and Unitel Mongolia.
Leadership debate with Mohammad Ahmed Bin Ali, Acting Director of the Telecom Directorate, of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications in Bahrain, Mr Alex Lee, Managing Director, China Mobile International, Middle East Company, Cevat Yerli, Founder and CEO of the TMRW Foundation, and Lin Yanqing, Principal Consultant, Industry Policy Public & Government Affairs at Huawei Technologies.