ICT Fund Board of Trustees visits the National Science Foundation and Civilian Research & Development Fund in the US

30/06/2013

ICT Fund Board of Trustees meets to discuss a set of new projects

The ICT Fund Board of Trustees held their second meeting this year at the TRA building in Dubai. The meeting was headed by H.E. Dr. Abdulqader Al Khayat, Chairman of the Board of trustees, and attended by Members of the Board; H.E. Dr. Khalifa H. Harib, H.E. Eng. Majed Almesmar, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Alkous, H.E. Dr. Mohammed Ebrahim Al-Mualla, H.E. Dr. Mohamed N. Alahbabi, and H.E. Dr. Sabri Al-Azazi. The meeting was also attended by a number of the Fund officials.

Commenting on the meeting, H.E. Dr. Abdulqader Al Khayat, Chairman of the Board of trustees said: “We believe that achieving a global position for the ICT sector in the UAE lies in building human capital and investing in innovative ideas and projects in the areas of education, R&D, incubation and national projects which the ICT fund supports and finance, to benefit the ICT sector and contribute to the achievement of a strong knowledge- based economy in the UAE. Our goal at the ICT Fund is to provide financial support to projects that will not only allow the UAE to integrate into the global ICT economy, but also provide jobs and secure our future in which the country’s community can enjoy the same economic prosperity it has today through a self-sustaining ICT ecosystem.”

During the meeting, The Board of Trustees discussed a wide range of important topics, evaluated the work done by the Fund so far, and reviewed the ICT Fund strategic plan and action plan that has been designed to carry out the mission and vision of the ICT Fund, and a number of recommendations to direct the work of the Fund in the coming period..

The Board of Trustees’ members also discussed the consideration of financing a set of innovative projects aimed to improve the ICT sector in the UAE. 

It should be noted that the UAE ranked number one in the world in the areas of "Government Efficiency", "Social Cohesion" and "Attitudes and Values", and the eighth most competitive nation in the Global Competitiveness Yearbook 2013, a leap from 16th last year and 28th in 2011. Additionally, the UAE ranked fourth in Economic Performance, fifth in Employment and sixth in Management Practices.

In a move to identify the best practices in the field of education and basic research, a delegation from the ICT Fund board of trustees, headed by H.E. Mohammad al Ahbabi and H.E. Mohammad al Muala, and in the presence of Mr. Talal Al-Qaisi Commercial Counselor at the UAE Embassy in Washington, made a visit to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States to see the foundation’s activities and to discuss opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

“This visit falls within the framework of the continuous efforts to exchange knowledge and best practices in ICT and benefit from the experiences of other countries, in order to develop many areas in the UAE, including education, research programs entrepreneurship”. Stated H.E. Mohammad Al Ahbabi, member of the board.

Members of the Board also made a visit to the Civilian Research & Development Fund (CRDF) in Virginia, USA, examined through the programs, mechanisms, and systems used to support science and technology through providing scholarships, training, and technical resources. The aim of the visit was to benefit from the experience of other countries in the field of science and technology to meet the efforts of the ICT Fund in contributing to achieve the objectives of the UAE’s vision 2021 to become the best country in the world.

ICT Fund - one of the initiatives of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority - is the first of its kind in the Middle East, dedicated to develop the UAE ICT sector, both regionally and internationally, and to fuel local innovative research & development projects within the sector, that will ensure for the UAE a competitive position in the Global markets. ICT Fund also aims at building a strong scientific and technological platform for the ICT sector that will be reflected on the UAE, by financing and enabling researchers to carry out world-class research, both basic and applied, supporting education through Scholarships and setting up educational institutions that offer quality ICT-related courses that will groom future talent for the country. Moreover, ICT Fund finances the activities of the federal government which implement technology to uplift government efficiency; it also encourages innovation by enabling incubators and start-ups that will proudly carry the banner: “Made in the UAE, Sold Globally.”