Qatar to host prestigious ITU Telecom World 2014 event
Major global ICT players to join debates in Doha, December 2014
Geneva, 26 October 2013 – The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the specialized agency of the United Nations for information and communication technology (ICT), announced today that the State of Qatar has been selected as host country for ITU Telecom World 2014, following a competitive selection process among bidding ITU Member States. The 2014 annual edition of ITU Telecom World will take place in Doha in December 2014, at the state-of-the-art Qatar National Convention Centre. The event will bring together influential global leaders in ICT from the public and private sectors for strategic debate, knowledge-sharing, innovation showcasing and networking at the highest level.
The State of Qatar has appointed leading international communications company, Ooredoo, to help organize ITU Telecom World 2014, on behalf of the Government of Qatar. Ooredoo, formerly known as Qatar Telecom, is the foremost communications provider in Qatar and one of the world’s largest communications companies, serving more than 2.5 million consolidated customers in Qatar, and more than 93 million people around the world.
“We are delighted that Qatar, one of the world’s most advanced and committed adopters of cutting-edge technology, will host ITU Telecom World 2014,” said Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU Secretary-General. “Strategically located at the crossroads of three continents, Qatar provides the ideal location to continue the ITU Telecom World conversation on harnessing the power of next generation technology for the benefit of the ICT industry and the people of the world.”
“As part of our 2030 vision, Qatar is pushing ahead with its national strategy to build a knowledge-based economy and drive global competitiveness. This makes our nation the ideal host for ITU Telecom World 2014, which has made its mission to promote social development through advanced technology,” said H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani, Chairman, Ooredoo. “We are proud to be playing a key role in assisting the State of Qatar with this important international debate. Mobile technology helps to enrich people’s lives, and we are sure the discussions and decisions made possible by the ITU Telecom World 2014 Event in Doha will have an essential impact.”
This year’s edition of ITU Telecom World will be held in Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand, from 19-22 November 2013 on the theme of “Embracing Change in a Digital World”. Key outcomes from critical debates to be held in Bangkok on understanding and benefiting from the current radical transformation of the ICT sector – and of the world’s way of working, playing and living – will inform and set the stage for the discussions to be held in Doha in 2014.
About ITU
ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology. For nearly 150 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve communication infrastructure in the developing world, and established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to new-generation wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, satellite-based meteorology and converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world. www.itu.int
