GOIC holds the GCC Computer and Electronic Products Manufacturers’ Forum in May 2016

Doha - MENA Herald: Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Jassim Bin Saif Al-Sulaiti, Qatar’s Minister of Transport and Communications, the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) will hold the GCC Computer and Electronic Products Manufacturers’ Forum in May 2016 in Doha, Qatar.
The Forum aims at shedding light on the current status and components of the computer and electronic products manufacturing industry, boosting spending in this sector and transitioning to electronic industries throughout the GCC.
His Excellency Mr. Jassim Bin Saif Al-Sulaiti said: “Qatar is keen to stimulate joint Gulf ventures at all levels by encouraging and supporting various initiatives and projects between GCC countries in different fields, including the electronic products manufacturing industry.”
His Excellency expressed his hope to see the Gulf transformed into the beating heart of computer and electronic products manufacturing, and wished that the forum would come up with recommendations capable of enriching this industry and overcoming difficulties it faces in the region.
Furthermore, His Excellency Mr. Abdulaziz Bin Hamad Al-Ageel, GOIC Secretary General, expressed his deepest gratitude to HE Mr. Al-Sulaiti for his patronage of the event. HE the Secretary General reiterated the important role of electronic manufacturing in developing modern societies. This industry has indeed become a pillar for future development plans, since it has been integrated within all economic sectors and based on its strategic prospect, economic feasibility and political influences.
HE Mr. Al-Ageel added: “Scientific research, innovation and development lay the foundations of the shift towards knowledge-based industries, hence the need to increase spending, which requires a GCC industrial development strategy and a national system capable of managing and organising scientific research through a national strategy of science and technology.”
“GCC countries relentlessly seek to lay the foundations of sustainable economic development and highlight the importance of investing in high added value economic activities based on knowledge-based industries. These industries constitute the strategic option for economic diversification in the GCC allowing for a high level of global economic integration”, HE Mr. Al-Ageel stated. He added: “The knowledge growth resulted in major transformations of the global economy; advanced industrial countries already started their shift from traditional industrial economy to knowledge-based economy or digital economy, where information and knowledge-based innovations play a key role.”
In light of the important and promising role of knowledge-based industries in developing the GCC industrial sector and their valuable contribution to economic diversification, GOIC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Communications in the State of Qatar, decided to organise this forum to discuss various topics and issues to boost these vital industries. The forum will also tackle problems and challenges that GCC countries face, suggest solutions and put together a number of recommendations to overcome the problems in this region.
While electronic products manufacturing is still relatively new in GCC countries, they have achieved remarkable successes in this field, notably in the areas of manufacturing and assembling of computers, magnetic disks, communication devices and equipment and measuring, testing and control equipment etc.
Electronic products are characterised by the wide range of uses in modern day lifestyles, to include: electronics, computers, communication devices and equipment, software, semiconductors and measuring and control equipment etc. In addition to that, this industry relies mainly on scientific knowledge guaranteeing a high added value. Moreover, it faces a number of obstacles hindering its expansion in the Gulf such as: the difficulty to establish an independent industry and the difficulty to transfer technology, especially that this field requires a high level of technological progress supported by advanced scientific research. Nevertheless, there are prospects to develop these industries in GCC countries where capital is available and where it is possible to provide skilful national cadre with proper training and research and development centres.
The forum aims at creating a platform for dialogue between electronic products manufacturers in the GCC and businessmen, in order to exchange ideas and opinions regarding relevant issues. The forum will also tackle the transfer and settlement of electronic technologies and the role of research and development activities and innovation in terms of this knowledge-based industry. Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to exchange ideas about the best means and processes to stimulate electronic industries, improve their status to fulfil consumers’ needs and boost its contribution to economic diversification in the region. The forum will also discuss the current status of electronic product manufacturing in the GCC, diagnose the problems and challenges and put together a number of suitable recommendations and solutions. It will also witness the introduction of promising investment opportunities in different areas of the GCC electronic products manufacturing sector.