International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Houlin Zhao to chair SAMENA Telecom Leaders' Summit 2016 in Dubai

Must-attend annual event a meeting point for key decision-makers from the regional telecom industry representing private and government entities

Dubai, UAE, May 9, 2016:  International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Houlin Zhao will be attending SAMENA Telecom Leaders’ Summit 2016. Recognized as a must-attend event, the Telecom Leaders’ Summit has been organized every year since 2010.  This year’s edition of the top-tier telecom stakeholders’ summit will be held in Dubai, UAE, on the 19th of May. 

As one of the most anticipated ICT thought leadership events in the region, the Telecom Leaders’ Summit 2016 marks the tenth anniversary of “SAMENA Telecommunications Council”. Since its inception in 2006, the Council has been playing an important role in regional developments in ICT, setting the agenda and representing the interests of operators from South Asia, Middle East and North Africa. Today, SAMENA Telecommunications Council is at the forefront of the campaign for digitalization of economies, unifying the telecom industry voice, helping optimize the collaboration between operators, regulators and ICT industry service providers towards making a positive impact in the region’s socio-economic developments.

Commenting on the new development in the lead-up to the Summit, Mr. Bocar A. BA, CEO of the “SAMENA Telecommunications Council” said, "I am pleased to welcome ITU Secretary-General to the Telecom Leaders’ Summit. We will be hosting the captains of ICT industries at the Summit with the aim of driving cross-stakeholder discussions around digitization of economies and Mr. Zhao’s presence will add invaluable depth and international perspective to the dialog. The Summit will become the main stage facilitating policy, investment, regulation and infrastructure development debates. I expect stronger partnerships across geographies, businesses and agendas emerging from the Telecom Leaders’ Summit 2016.”

Participation at the Telecom Leaders’ Summit is by invitation only. Most of the regional leaders representing network operators, regulatory authorities, ICT service providers and policy bodies from Asia and Europe have confirmed participation. This is Huawei’s third consecutive year as the host sponsor of the prestigious regional telecom thought leadership event.