Ericsson to discuss Middle East ‘Networked Society’ with ICT leaders in Beirut

Key players from the Middle East telecommunications industry are set to gather for the first ever Ericsson Middle East Media Summit in Beirut on November 23^rd. The telecommunications giant will be hosting the event under the high patronage of the President of the Council of Ministers, His Excellency Mr. Najib Mikati, Lebanon Prime Minister, in an effort to start an open dialogue within the industry highlighting upcoming challenges and opportunities as well as industry trends.  

“As communications technology is continuously changing the lives of individuals and the way they communicate with one another, Ericsson firmly believes that the journey to the Networked Society has already begun in the region and the company expects that there will be more than 50 billion connected devices by 2020 globally,” said Anders Lindblad, Ericsson’s President and Head of Region Middle East and Africa.  “We are therefore hoping to start the conversation regionally and tap into the experience of some of the most successful companies and individuals in the region that dominate the telecommunication industry as well as related industries.  Two weeks ago, we were in Hong Kong at the Global NEST event, and this week we will be kicking off our regional event in Beirut, where we aim to discuss the evolution of telecommunication and the Networked Society in the Middle East, and highlight the role that Ericsson and its partners have to play in contributing to the future development of ICT.”

The event will include a number of keynote speeches, as well as debates covering topics such as the journey to the Networked Society, the impact of social media on the evolution of the telecommunication and media sectors, innovation in the industry, as well as a number of moderated discussions.

The Lebanese Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui will host the event providing valuable insight into industry developments along with Ghassan Hasbani, CEO- international, STC Group, Hassan Kabbani, Oger Telecom Group CEO, Bassam Hannoun, Wataniyah Palestine CEO, Hussein Rifaï, MDIC Viva Cell Chairman, Ammar Aker, Paltel Group CEO, Jamal Ramadan, MTN MENA CEO, Hisham Akbar, CCO Zain Group and Alfa CEO Marwan Hayek.

Ericsson’s decision to host the summit in Lebanon came in light of the company’s commitment to the country. The company hopes to take part in efforts to rebuild the country’s telecommunications sector and help Lebanon regain its position as one of the region’s telecommunications leader by supporting the country on its journey towards the ‘Networked Society.’

Ericsson has been invaluable in bringing telecommunications leaders together around the world to address issues that matter to the industry. Most recently the company wrapped up the first NEST (Networked Society Forum) in Hong Kong earlier this month which was hosted by Ericsson’s President and CEO Hans Vestberg in an effort to bring the industry together to provide ideas and solutions on how to leverage the power of ICT to bring benefits to people and businesses.

Like the NEST event in Hong Kong, The Ericsson Middle East Media Summit 2011 will undoubtedly highlight the role that telecommunications will play in the future development of the Middle East’s communities and underscore their effort to evolve the telecom industry and create innovative new ICT solutions to resolve global issues.