15/06/2014 09:28 AST
The government’s focus on putting emphasis on the various facets of technology has helped Qatar carve its niche in the global community, an official of Boeing Middle East said.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the emphasis on technology was a core contributor to Qatar’s success and remains as relevant to the country’s objectives now as it has been for world ambitions over the past three centuries,” Boeing Middle East president Jeffrey Johnson told Gulf Times.
Johnson observed that while some might take the role of technology for granted, he stressed that leaders in the Middle East “have long recognised its importance in generating very tangible benefits for their people.”
“In Qatar, for instance, we’ve seen a heavy emphasis on investing in science, technology, research and development, in the last few years. By placing these key factors at the heart of their development strategy, Qatar’s visionary leaders have demonstrated uncommon foresight, identifying the elements critical to helping the country thrive,” Johnson explained.
He pointed out that in 2013, Boeing and the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) have established a joint research project to examine ways to better recognise patterns, correlations, and anomalies in massive amounts of data produced by state-of-the-art aerospace systems.
Johnson said the partnership demonstrates that Qatar “is clearly a country whose leaders have acknowledged the value that innovation and technology brings to its economy and its people.”
“Multinational companies, such as Boeing, have risen to the challenge of seeking out and cementing opportunities to partner with the country, sharing technology and cutting-edge insights, including our unique agreement with Qatar Computing Research Institute,” Johnson stressed.
According to Johnson, Qatar’s current economic achievements are the result of “a well-thought-out strategy” to place innovation, knowledge, entrepreneurship, and technology at the centre of its economic plans.
“The results are plain to see,” he stressed, referring to Qatar’s number 23 ranking on the Network Readiness Index of the World Economic Forum’s 2013-2014 Global Competitiveness Report making the country the leader in the Arab world.
This was largely due to the government’s efforts in the development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to spur entrepreneurship, he added.
This was echoed by HE the Minister of Information and Communications Technology Dr Hessa al-Jaber, who earlier said: “Qatar’s leadership focused on the ICT sector as essential to transforming Qatar into an information society, fuelling both social and economic good.”
Al-Jaber said the government has opened the telecommunications market by investing heavily in building a secure and world-class infrastructure…“to set Qatar apart in the region and around the world.”
According to the minister, Qatar’s ICT market is expected to grow 10% annually and would reach QR24.7bn by 2016.”
Johnson described the move “as part of an effort designed not only to encourage the transfer of technology and technical insight, but also to impart knowledge and skills to a local workforce.”
“In addition to supporting the country’s economic diversification plans, this is a strategy that boosts Qatar’s competitiveness and its ability to continue to innovate,” he added.
Gulf Times
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