I am pleased to welcome you. I also welcome the convening of this conference, which brings together highly distinguished delegates and eminent speakers, and addresses an issue of great significance -- not only for emerging markets -- but the entire world.
In a time when global economy is going through a transition to an entirely new era, there is a need to grow bigger, and for concerted international efforts to facilitate such transition and ensure its universality. We indeed hope that the conference and the fact that it is being convened, for the first time, outside the OECD area, marks a step in this direction.
For us in the UAE, we are firmly determined to keep up with these changes. We have, at a relatively early stage, drawn up necessary plans to have in place the requirements for positive interaction with the new economy. We have had to move in several directions at the same time, namely:
Promoting awareness of the information culture;
Improving education and rethinking its programs and tools;
Initiating infrastructure projects for the new digital economy;
Launching the Electronic Government initiative which renders the Web a major tool in the management of services, and completion of tasks within government departments and with the business sector.
We realize that what we have so far achieved is, by all standards, pioneering. But we do also realize that we are only at the beginning of the road, and there is still a lengthy distance to cover. We are confident, however, that we are on the right track. We clearly understand that numerous tasks are yet to be undertaken in areas of legislation, communications, human resources and administrative organization. We believe we have the ability to succeed. We are determined to do just that.
Ladies & Gentlemen,
E-commerce, over which you are gathered here today, is a prominent title for one of the most radical changes our world is currently witnessing. All countries of the world are undoubtedly eager to adjust to these transformations, as smoothly and as safely as possible. Yet a host of constraints and challenges appear to stand between the majority of developing countries and the fulfillment of their aspirations.
The greatest of these challenges, in our opinion, is the technological gap between the industrial countries and developing countries. It is most unfortunate that this gap is growing bigger and bigger.
During the 20th century, we have seen the image of the world split, at one time, between advanced countries and developing countries, and at another between rich countries of the North and poor countries of the South. It appears that the 21st century split will be based on information between communities that know and others that do not know.
We all have to wonder about the potential impact of such a gap -- not only on the stability of the global economy -- but on the security and tranquility of the whole world.
We also wonder about a world singing the praises of globalization and the Global Village while its basic wealth, which is information, is concentrated in the hands of a few countries. Such concentration is further deepened by a growing tendency towards monopoly of information through extension of intellectual property rights by industrialised countries to include even applied aspects of knowledge, such as medical processes and genetic engineering achievement ... etc
Honorable Conference Members,
The widening of the knowledge gap is denying most developing countries the opportunity for true participation in the new global economy, thereby exposing them to many risks beginning with the economy and extending to include overall stability and security. When we speak of a one world, one global economy, one international media city, we should also remember that security in the world is also indivisible. This in itself is an additional incentive for industrialised countries to assist in facilitating and accelerating entry of developing countries to the digital economy. We intend to make this the subject ! of our main focus during this year's Davos Economic Forum.
I take the opportunity of the convening of this conference to call for an initiative to establish an international gathering devoted to assisting governments and private sectors in developing countries in the area of information technology, with the participation of governments of the OECD countries, concerned international organizations and information technology firms.
Parallel to that, governments in developing countries shall be required to double their efforts in this area, through increased investments in education and training, and setting up of appropriate rules and legislation.
Our experience in the UAE provides a good example of cooperation between the government and the private sector -- a joint effort to facilitate and accelerate the transformation process. The Electronic Government program, currently being implemented in Dubai, has achieved marked success. Use of E-commerce has become a priority among a growing number of public and private sector institutions. Meanwhile, some pioneering government initiatives, such as Dubai Internet City, are contributing to wider spread and deepening of digital culture, and is supporting the transformation mechanisms. E-commerce transactions are expected to double several times in the near future.
In conclusion, allow me to express my great pleasure for the selection of the United Arab Emirates as the first country outside the group of industrial countries to host the Conference on E-commerce in Emerging Markets. Such a selection is proper in keeping with Dubai's genuine interest in the digital economy, and with Dubai's position as an international center for major conferences and exhibitions, as reconfirmed by its selection to host the 2003 annual IMF and World Bank Meeting.
I wish your conference all success, and wish you a pleasant stay in Dubai.
