More Than Food At This ITU Cairo-Based Lunch

The challenges of providing African people easy and affordable access to broadband connectivity throughout the continent was discussed at political and executive levels during a luncheon meeting hosted by Thuraya at the ITU Telecom Africa event in Cairo last week. The two-hour “Power-Lunch Session” was opened by the ITU Secretary General Dr. Hamadoun Toure on the second day of the ITU Telecom Africa Conference and Exhibition held from May 12th through 15th, 2008. A powerful panel that included seven African telecom ministers, the US Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy from the U.S. Department of State, a World Bank delegate, CEOs of several telecom companies, senior executives from regulatory regimes, gathered and conducted a focused debate on investment opportunities in Africa, the Connect the World Initiative and the next steps after the Kigali Meeting. The aim was to explore and exchange views from different perspectives on opportunities and means to overcome any existing regulatory and infrastructural obstacles in the way of rolling-out broadband services in all parts of Africa.

Thuraya’s Chairman Mr. Mohammad Omran and CEO Mr. Yousuf Al Sayed participated in the debate. “The Power-Lunch was a great platform for influential international and African ICT decision-makers to discuss the future development of the growing African telecom sector,” said Mr. Al Sayed, who gave an overview on Thuraya’s contribution towards providing blanket telecom coverage throughout the continent. “Communications has become the buzz word for doing business, attracting investments and developing rural areas. And Africa is a continent that holds great potential in terms of business growth, especially with the provision of reliable telecom services,” Thuraya’s CEO told the panel. The Company’s CEO also spoke with other telecom executives at the second session of the ITU Telecom Africa Forum titled “Entrepreneurial Success Stories” where he presented Thuraya’s experience in many African markets—Abu Dhabi